Magna Defender's Legacy
by littlepatriot
Summary: The Magna Defender was once a noble warrior. However, the death of his son caused him to turn his back on his noble ways and begin a campaign of vengeance that lasted many years. Unbeknownst to him, two very familiar individuals would fill the void he'd left, becoming heroes in their own right, aiding those who helped others. One day, their destinies collide. Mainly Lost Galaxy. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is my first chapter of my first Power Rangers fanfiction. This will focus around the Magna Defender (the original), and two OC's. The story will mainly take place during PRLG with some flashbacks to earlier seasons. I will mainly be basing the story off many of the episodes, with changes (some major, some minor) to some of the storylines. Tying in these OC's and creating a story around them is difficult, and I hope such a deviation from the original storyline doesn't upset too many fanfic readers.**

 **Thanks,**

 **LittleP**

Chapter 1: Birth of a Warrior

Three young children ran around the parlor, their laughs resounding off the walls, and the pattering of their bare feet echoing around the room. Their father, Xanos, watched them from a table in the next room, thinking of how much these three reminded him of his late wife. His beloved had died giving birth to the pair of fraternal twins, Ali and Azarand. Their older brother Zika was chasing the pair around the room, enjoying the game.

"Zika, gather your brothers for supper." He told his eldest son.

The black haired boy perked up upon hearing his name. "Yes father." The boy responded, and shepherded the younglings to the table.

Their home was located in the country far from any large towns or villages; the reason was because of the two younglings. On their planet, Taurus, the pair would be considered outsiders, based on their skin complexion and other physical characteristics. On Taurus, the overwhelming majority of inhabitants had a dark skin complexion, with black hair, and purple irises. Those who deviated from such characteristics would be marked for discrimination and potential violence. These two young ones would fit into the derogatory category of "mutant."

Azarand was the shorter of the pair with an almost pale color of skin, red hair, and blue eyes, he was energetic and outgoing. His brother Ali was slightly taller, also of fair skin, with brownish red hair, and green eyes. Both would most certainly be branded outsiders and non- citizens by the government and lose any rights entitled to citizens.

Seeing the three come to the table, their father knew he would have to fight to protect his family, these three beautiful beings were all that remained of his beloved wife. He was already a loyal soldier to his homeland, fighting against the forces of evil, but ever since his two babies had been born, he'd thought that his own government might become his greatest enemy.

The next day, he and Zika were working the fields near their home, the twin's asleep inside. News had spread that a large flotilla of space villains were nearing Taurus, headed by the monster called Scorpius. Xanos was on edge, he was a warrior, an individual who fought for every being on this beautiful planet. He knew he would eventually fight Scorpius, but his family came first. He needed to make sure they were protected from any and all danger. Looking out over the farm fields, Xanos wondered how much time he had to prepare for the oncoming conflict.

Beside him, Zika had noticed his father's change in facial expression, knowing that something was wrong he decided to push forward and ask a question that'd been plaguing him since his brothers had been born.

"Father, what will we do about Ali and Azarand?" Zika asked in an innocent tone.

Xanos looked down at his son, wondering what had piqued his curiosity. "I don't know Zika. But know this; I would give my life before harm comes to any of you."

With that Xanos turned away from his eldest son, and resumed his work.

It was nearly sundown when it happened. One moment, father and son were finishing up their work alone, in the next; they were joined by a third. This figure was a bald and wearing silver coated frock. Xanos immediately took a defensive position in front of Zika.

"Who. Are. You." Xanos ground out in a low menacing voice.

The figure merely stood before the pair as if analyzing them, Zika felt as if he were an experiment.

The figure stood in silence for a further moment before finally speaking. "Be calm young ones, I am Zordon, a wise elder from a time in the distant past. I've come with some news."

Xanos scoffed at the man. "So you're telling me you're an ancestor? If you do not get off my land I will remove you myself."

The man gave a quick smile of playfulness before he snapped his fingers. Two flashes of light temporarily blinded Xanos and Zika, when their vision returned to normal, before them rested two pairs of armor.

One pair was larger than the other and had slightly different designs on its armor, yet the two were very similar. The helmets were similarly shaped, both having horns, one yellow, the other gray. The chest armor was also similar in that both contained patterns and a hexagonal piece of diamond at the center. However, the larger piece of chest armor had more plating with armor covering the shoulder. Both had similar armor for the arms and legs, as well as ribbed gloves and hand guards. The larger set of armor had a red flowing cape faced black.

After Xanos and Zika had sufficiently gawked at the pairs of armor, the figure in front of them broke the silence.

"Xanos of Taurus. You and your eldest son, Zika, are both being entrusted with one of the greatest responsibilities in the galaxy." The figure known as Zordon spoke.

"And what responsibility is that?" Xanos said, his gaze still fixed on the larger set of armor.

"You and your son will be defenders of a treasure unlike the galaxy has ever seen. With this responsibility, it will be up to you protect many millions of beings on many thousands of worlds against evil. Xanos of Taurus, I am bestowing upon you the powers of the Magna Defender. Your son will carry on your legacy as a future Defender." Zordon's voice boomed across the fields.

"Why us?" Was all that Xanos was able to choke out, too overwhelmed by the news he'd just received.

Zordon's faced turned to sympathetic pity. "Because you and your family have been through a hardship that few are ever able to recover from and move on. Your perseverance, your will to survive, and your selflessness to protect those who matter most and those who you've never met exemplify a true warrior. Only a true warrior can responsibly use the powers of the Magna Defender, and only a true warrior can fight for all that is good and just. You, Xanos of Taurus, are a true warrior. Your son, Zika, shares many qualities with you, he too will make a true Defender when his day dawns."

Xanos' posture had softened upon hearing Zordon's words. "But what about my two babies?" His voice was laced with concern.

Zordon gave a reassuring laugh. "Fear not, they will be fine. While it is not their destiny to become Defenders like you two, they will have a very important role to play in the struggle between good and evil. I cannot say for certain what the future holds for them, but I have no doubt that they will be heroes themselves."

The statement gave reassurance to Xanos. Stepping forward, he bowed before the silver clad figure. "I would be honored to take up the powers of the Magna Defender." Behind him, Zika mirrored his father's posture.

Zordon laughed again, and clapped Xanos on the shoulder. "Young Xanos, please do not bow before me, I am not superior to you in any way. I merely am a bringer of powers which in your heart you've possessed since you were born." A blue glow appeared in front of Xanos, and began to coalesce into a shape that Xanos was familiar with. Reaching up, he grabbed the weapon of the Magna Defender, a dual changing blaster sword.

Straitening up, Xanos stood stock still, waiting for Zordon to continue. "While the destiny of your family is bright, a great hardship will test you and your family. As the Magna Defender, you must meet that hardship head on, and try your best to defeat it. I cannot say what will happen after that. The future is in your hands." With that Zordon flashed out of existence.

Both Xanos and Zika trekked back to their hut where Ali and Azarand were waiting for them, the toddlers gazed at the armor in the pair's arms. Xanos looked upon their faces and vowed then and there that he would protect his family.

He was a warrior. He was the Magna Defender.


	2. A Family Destroyed A Vengeful Father

Chapter 2: A Family Destroyed; A Vengeful Father

Nearly a month had passed since Xanos' and Zika's encounter with Zordon. In the month since, war seemed to be growing ever closer. Scorpius' flotilla had begun to stage hit and run attacks on the planet, killing many soldiers and citizens, and the attacks only seemed to increase. The government of Taurus appeared weak, they needed an excuse to explain such weakness, and the government needed a scapegoat. The scapegoat was the class of people who were already stigmatized, the "mutants." The government dehumanized the "mutants", calling them animals or insects who were the cause of the losses against Scorpius' army. Many even went as far as to accuse those with fairer skin of being spies for Scorpius' army. Violence against the "mutant" class increased, it was then the entire situation took a bloody turn.

Xanos was sharpening his blade and preparing his government issued blaster. Scorpius had announced that the planet would be under his control by the end of the month. Xanos had heard of what the government had said about "mutants," and it enraged him. Every time he looked at either Azarand or Ali, images of Taurisian citizens beating his two boys would sprout in his mind. He found himself looking at the armor of the Magna Defender more often since he'd found out. He knew the time of accessing his powers was close at hand.

The next morning, a loud series of explosions awoke him and his sons.

"Stay here!" He yelled to the two twins who'd come out of their room. "Zika, come with me," Xanos ordered his eldest son. They hid Ali and Azarand underneath the floorboards, and then rushed out of their home. They used the billowing black smoke as guidance, running for many miles before they reached the scene. Both Xanos and Zika immediately started blasting stingwingers and monsters, the fighting raged for hours until the enemy retreated back to their vessel, which then blasted off into space back towards Scorpius' ship.

As the soldiers were recovering from their most recent battle, Xanos noticed a group of fair skinned inhabitants being led away in chains and under armed guard. Rushing over to the group, Xanos demanded that they be released.

"Sorry Xanos, no can do. The government has declared that mutants are traitors. They've aided the enemy in planning these attacks, any and all are to be rounded up and sent to camp Milosevich on the Sylaba River." The officer spoke in a formal military tone. With that, the officer led the group of captives away.

A frigid cold enveloped Xanos' body. He and Zika sprinted back to their home, hoping the worst had not occurred. It took hours to reach their home, the sun already beginning to set. Bursting through the door, Xanos bellowed, "twins!" No response greeting his ears, he went to the area where he knew he had hid Ali and Azarand, pulling up the floorboards revealed his greatest fear. Where there should've been two twins, there was nothing.

He had to find them, and he had to find them soon.

30 miles away

Ali didn't know what was going on. One moment he'd heard nothing, the next moment brought a loud crash as the front door was kicked in, and within a further few seconds the floor boards were being torn up. He and Azarand were suddenly grabbed by strong hands and painfully removed from their enclave.

"Why, you two are so young. It's a shame that you have to go through this, but you and your kind are the cause of all our problems." A menacing man spoke to the wide eyed children, a threatening grin plastered across his face.

Ali began to cry, he didn't know what was going on, but he wanted his father to help them get out of this. Beside him, Azarand spit in the face of one of his captors, earning him a slap across the face. Ali, not one to be outdone by his brother, tried to kick his captor, but his tears clouded his vision, and his legs were grabbed and twisted. He cried out in pain as his leg was let go and hung limply in the air. The two were set down and forced to walk out of their house, where a larger group of soldiers were waiting.

Azarand turned to his brother, "where do you think they will take us?"

Ali pondered the question for a moment before replying, his voiced laced with pain. "I don't know." He replied simply as he and his brother began their forced trek.

Hours Later

After what seemed like hours, the group came upon wooden stakes sticking out of a field. Connected to the wooden stakes were single wires, the wires set up to explosives underneath the ground. This was the camp known as Milosevich, where the planet's "mutant" population was being held.

Arriving at the gate of the camp, Ali and Azarand were swarmed by guards, who patted their small bodies down before shoving them through the gate and into the camp.

Azarand froze at what he saw. People that were the same color he was were slaving away, lifting equipment, fanning officers, or just suffering in silence. Both Azarand and Ali winced as they witnessed a woman who was punished for not fanning an officer fast enough, the soldier whipping here multiple times, the cracks echoing throughout the camp.

The two younglings had no time to gawk as they were pushed towards a small river, the water of which was being used as both a drinking source and a dumping place for organic sewage.

They hoped their father would rescue them from this nightmare.

Xanos and Zika had been searching for hours. They couldn't find anything, even when they searched a large portion of the Sylaba River. Xanos knew time was running out for his two younglings. He and Zika had prepared their Defender's armor but had not yet used it.

 _Very soon though,_ Xanos thought.

During the night Ali and Azarand had awoken to screams, shouts, and sounds of blaster fire. Coming out from a worn blanket that had served as their shelter, they saw a scene of horrific proportions. Groups of "mutants" were being herded into a small gulch, then they were ordered to face away from their captors, then the soldiers fired. The bodies fell towards the earth almost gracefully, a soft thud resounding as they hit the ground. The bodies were then placed into a pit, as another group was brought to meet their fate.

Ali knew they needed to escape, but before he could come up with a plan, he and his brother were grabbed and placed into a group of fellow "mutants." The group was herded into the gulch as they would soon meet their fate. Ali and Azarand were both trembling with fear. They were too young to die, they'd just started to live their lives, but both saw the inevitability of their situation. Ali grabbed Azarand's hand, holding onto his brother in a tight grip. So sure that they were going to die that they were shocked when they heard a voice call out their names. Looking around, both boys noticed that no one else seemed to hear the voice, yet it was as clear as day.

"I will protect you young ones, but you must aid me. You younglings must act like you are dead." The mysterious voice told them.

Azarand looked to Ali, who gave him a nod and a reassuring squeeze of his hand, confirming that he knew what to do.

Not a moment later, the order to fire was given. The lasers impacted everyone around them, but seemed to miss them entirely. And as previously told, as the bodies fell, so did the two brothers.

Xanos had come upon the camp after additional searching. Enraged, he attacked two sentries before being subdued. He and Zika were marched towards the camp, where they were met by an officer.

"Ah Xanos, you've caused quite a bit of trouble for us." The officer spoke, eying Zika the entire time.

"What are you doing?! We should be focusing our efforts on Scorpius, not these people!" Xanos bellowed at the man. He so desperately wanted to shout for his two babies but that would only serve to arouse attention towards him and his two missing younglings, putting them in even greater peril.

"We are eliminating the problem that caused this mess. The mutants betrayed us to the invaders, they're being stopped. Now if you have nothing more to do, then I bid you good day." The officer marched away from Xanos and Zika, back through the gates of Milosevich.

Xanos was bordering on a breakdown as he walked away from the camp. As they crossed the river to go back to their home and begin searching anew, they came across a scene of horror that defied their imagination. There, near the riverbank, was a pit filled with the bodies of "mutants." Each shot in a precise manner, a cold sense of dread washed over Xanos.

It was genocide.

As Ali and Azarand were shoved into the pit along with the other lifeless bodies, they didn't know what would come next. Would they starve to death out here? Was there a way out of here?

"Be calm, you will be alright." The voice they'd heard earlier spoke to them again.

"Who are you?" Azarand whispered, weary of the guards nearby.

"My name youngling, is Zordon. I know your father." The voice, known as Zordon, said.

"Our father?" The pair whispered.

"Yes, needless to say he and your brother are looking everywhere for you." Zordon informed the two young ones.

The faces of both Ali and Azarand turned into great relief. "So he's going to rescue us then?" Ali asked, his voice betraying his anxiousness.

The voice took a somber tone as Zordon spoke. "I'm afraid that is not possible. Current immediate circumstances will not allow that." As if to emphasize his point, guards began meticulously turning over each body, and putting a shot in it, to make sure the victim was no longer living. "Rest assured, you will see your father and brother again, but for now, you must come with me." Zordon spoke in an urgent tone.

Azarand eye's prickled with tears. "No, I want to see my family. I want to follow my father and become a hero too."

The guards were getting ever closer to the two boys.

"I am sorry young one, but you cannot do that. You WILL see your father and eldest brother again, mark my words. You two have great futures ahead of you, filled with fighting evil and preserving goodness. You will bring your family honor beyond imagination." Zordon's voice was a mix of confidence, sympathy, and was laced with persuasion.

Both boys were fascinated by Zordon's words. "But we will see our family again?" Azarand asked in a hushed questioning tone.

"You both will. How long? I cannot say, but you will see them again. Please come with me." Zordon spoke, his voice filled with anxiety.

The guards were only mere seconds away from reaching the boys.

Both boys had a moment of insight. Their father fought against evil, and they always wanted to follow in his footsteps. They now had that chance; all they had to do was take it.

" Yes." Both Ali and Azarand said simply. In a puff of smoke, both boys had vanished.

The guards stared around, dumbfounded for a moment, before resuming their task.

Xanos and Zika were sure that the two youngest of their family were no more. It only served to fuel the fire to destroy the evil that had taken them. Almost the entire population of mutants had been wiped out, and their planet was now under full scale invasion. Scorpius had waited until the government of Taurus had turned its attention to its own inhabitants. With the government distracted, Scorpius launched his attack on the planet. His army leveled thousands of towns and villages, and wiped out nearly the entire population of Taurus, which was a shadow of its former beauty.

Xanos and Zika realized that the time had come. Stepping into their home, they each picked up their set of armor. Once the armor was applied, the powers would be engrained in the soul, and the armor could not be removed. It also came with the added bonus of extending a person's life.

Xanos looked at his eldest son. "Zika, there's no going back after this."

"I know father." Zika said, and began to put on a glove.

Xanos also put on a glove, and in a huge flash of light, the armor of the Defender's was on their bodies. No longer was he Xanos of Taurus, he was the Magna Defender.

The new Magna Defender thrust himself into battle. Zika had gone off to continue searching for his two younger brothers.

The Magna Defender ran towards the sounds of monsters, drawing his sword he slashed at one such monster. Sparks flew from the monsters body, which promptly fell to the ground and exploded into an enormous fireball.

However, with his newfound power, the Magna Defender found himself outmatched. He was a one man army fighting many thousands of enemies. He needed something bigger. As if his thought was read, the ground began to tremble and a large hulking object slowly walked towards the Magna Defender. He noticed that this "being" had horns that looked similar to his own; he'd gained an ally, Torozord.

Zika was currently searching for his two younger brothers; however, he had no luck. All around him the night sky glowed from the many fires raging across the planet. Hearing movement to his right, Zika quickly reached towards his wrist and drew the small dagger his father had made for him. The sight that greeted him paralyzed him with fear. He was left staring at the hulking mass of a terrifying monster.

"Hello little Zika," the monster said, "I'm looking for your father. And you're my bargaining tool. Scorpius will be pleased to know that I, Fishface, will bring down the Magna Defender!" The monster cackled cruelly as he stepped towards Zika.

The Magna Defender was slowly making his way towards a group of monsters who had found a box of jewelry. Drawing his sword, he made his presence known.

"Drop the jewels! You won't need them where you're going." He growled out, stepping through an explosion simultaneously.

"Look who survived," a monster said, "it's the Magna Defender," another one added.

"It is you who won't survive, Torozord!" The Magna Defender bellowed, putting his sword in front of him in a defensive maneuver.

The zord stomped its way behind the Magna Defender, emphasizing his conviction to protect.

" Scorpius!" Magna Defender yelled upon seeing the monster that'd caused all the destruction.

The monster seemed to smile with his insect like jaws. "I've been expecting you Magna Defender," the Magna Defeder took a step back in surprise; "I have something you may be interested in." Scorpius spoke in a menacing tone.

The Magna Defender looked behind the monster, in his worst fears were realized.

"Let go of me! Father help me!" Zika cried out from the unyielding grip of Fishface, who swung his sword around in the air threateningly.

"Drop your weapon or your son is doomed!" Fishface told the Magna Defender.

"Let him go Fishface!" The Magna Defender said, still maintaining a defensive posture, he wasn't about to give into these demands.

"Do it now or you will regret it! Call off Torozord!" Fishface said.

The Magna Defender heard the conviction in his voice, he knew Fishface would harm his son, he couldn't let that happen, seeing as his two young ones were already gone, he wasn't about to lose the last of his family.

He dropped his sword and turned back towards Torozord. "Torozord, retreat."

He turned back towards where his son was being held captive, and was set upon by various monsters. They struck at his chest, causing sparks to erupt all over the place. Through the pain, he thought he heard his son telling the monsters to leave him alone.

The monsters then grabbed him under his arms and hoisted him to a standing position. His chest smoking, the pain nearly consuming, all he could do was cry out for his son. "Zika!" He shouted, before Scorpius leveled him with a strong blast to the chest. This one causing sparks to explode from his chest armor, the impact, and all consuming pain causing him to fall chest first onto the cold hard ground. He thought he heard Zika scream no when he fell. This gave him further drive to survive; his son needed him to be there.

"You won't stop me, I'll rule the universe." Scorpius growled, glaring at the crumpled form of the Magna Defender.

It took all of his remaining strength to hoist himself up. "Scorpius, leave Zika alone." He moaned in pain, and fell once again back onto the ground.

Scorpius relented, "release the boy." He said, Fishface promptly slapped the boy away from him while telling him to get lost.

The Magna Defender thought his son was now out of danger, but he was wrong. To his horror, Zika drew his dagger and pointed it at Scorpius.

"Don't worry father, I'll save you!" Zika shouted before charging towards the tentacle monster.

"Zika don't!" He roared, trying to stand up, but was prevented by a monsters boot on his weakened body.

He saw Scorpius zap Zika with a powerful blast, the boy began to fall motionlessly towards the ground.

"Zika!" He cried out as his son fell.

Once the boy had fallen, the monsters laughed and began to move out, leaving the Magna Defender to crawl towards his lifeless son.

The Magna Defender crawled towards the last of his family, vocally shouting his denial at the fact that his last son, his eldest born, was no more.

Reaching the body of Zika, he cradled the boy to his chest, tipping his helmet back, he cried out into the night sky.

The sadness was joined by a burning desire for vengeance. The monsters had caused the deaths of all three of his sons, he was sure of it. He would make them pay dearly! He would not stop until he made the pain he felt known to them.

He would not stop until he destroyed Scorpius and all of his minions.

He would get his revenge.

 **Phew! That was quite a lot to type, and my hands are cramping up. I wasn't completely sure about the events surround Ali and Azarand, it all seemed a little to close to reality. But I eventually decided to write it. For those that don't know, the dialogue between Scorpius and the Magna Defender was taken from PRLG Episode 10: The Sunflower Search. This will probably be a common occurrence, as it helps tie in PRLG into this story. Hope you all enjoy! I had a interesting time writing this!**

 **Little P**


	3. Zordonian Clerics

**Hey everyone! I know many of you are anxious to get some Power Rangers involved in this story. Mark my words; they will make their first appearance in the next chapter, although it will not be PRLG. Since I've been building background, I've decided to take it slowly, and progress the story naturally, instead of jumping straight into the PRLG universe. So we'll see some earlier Power Ranger universes first before PRLG. Sorry if that irritates some people, but I feel like it would develop the story to make the most sense to a reader! Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

 **-LittleP**

Chapter 3: Zordonian Clerics

The Magna Defender continued on his path of vengeance. After destroying any and all remaining monsters on his now desolate home planet, the seething father turned his sights on acquiring new powers. These powers could be used to destroy Scorpius and his army once and for all. He needed the Lights of Orion.

After many days, he'd successfully found and captured the Lights of Orion, guarding over them like if it were one of his own children. How he missed them dearly! The thought of all that he'd lost only drove his anger to new levels, and further strengthened his resolve. He would get his revenge, no matter what the cost.

At present he had taken the lights and fled with them to the planet Mironoi, preventing them from falling into Scorpius' slimy tentacles. The physical toll of running from Scorpius' army and ever present monsters has severely diminished his physical abilities, even with his powers. Added with the emotional toll of losing his family, the Magna Defender was left venerable to attack.

As he made his way alongside a deep crevice, his new nemesis, Trecheron, appeared. The white pony tailed monster had been a thorn in his side ever since he'd taken flight with the Lights of Orion.

"Magna Defender, hand over the lights or be prepared to meet your doom!" Trecheron shouted at the black clad warrior.

"Never, you foolish ghoul." The Magna Defender replied, preparing to defend himself and the Lights of Orion from any oncoming attack.

The attack that Trecheron used was anything but normal for the monster. It was impossible to defend, nevertheless counter. Using his hands, Trecheron crossed his sword in front of his body, summoning a powerful attack. Within seconds the Magna Defender was hit full force with the effects, crippling pain engulfed his armored body as sparks and smoke poured from his armor. Stumbling back, the Magna Defender had nowhere to go but down.

As he fell for what seemed like an eternity, his shouts echoing off the rocky walls, he didn't know what to expect, perhaps he would be destroyed when he hit the bottom. When he did hit the bottom of the crevice, the expected darkness never came; instead the Magna Defender was left lying in a crumpled heap, pain shooting throughout his body. As he turned over onto his back, facing up towards the sky thousands of feet above, he saw the Lights of Orion moving up and away from him. He had lost the Lights of Orion, for how long, he did not know, but he vowed that he would not waver from his mission. Suddenly a deep rumbling began to shake the crevice, the walls began to close around him, and soon the Magna Defender was entombed within the cavernous depths.

 **3,000 Years Later; Earth  
** A very bright light invaded the darkness, his eyes cracking open as he awoke. Blinking them slowly, Ali had no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered was the gulch at Milosevich, and them being taken away by the voice known as Zordon. All around him machines buzzed and lights flashed on panels. Pushing himself off his oddly shaped cot, Ali was surprised at where he was. It appeared to be some sort of command or control center. Looking down at his arms and legs he sighed in relief as the extremities looked as they had back at home. His feet hit the floor, and once he was confident he could walk, he began to stroll around the room.

Hearing voices coming from an adjacent door, Ali slowly made his way over and put his ear up against the wood. Hearing a voice that sounded a lot like his brother Azarand, Ali quickly turned the handle and swung the door open. He stilled when he saw his brother sitting beside a bald elderly man who was wearing a silver robe. Both turned to look at him in the doorway, both had a small smile on their faces.

"Ah Ali, you have finally awoken." The old man said in a soft tone.

"Who are you?" Ali asked the question in a soft, cautious voice.

The old many chuckled before responding to Ali's question. "Ali, I was the voice you and your brother heard in the ditch. I am Zordon."

Ali's eyes widened at the memory of the voice. "You saved us," was all Ali said, breathless from shock.

"Yes I did, you two are simply too important for your lives to be exterminated." Zordon's voice contained a hint of anger.

The next question had been bouncing around Ali's head since he'd woken up. "Where are we?"

"Earth." His brother Azarand replied.

Ali was again dumbfounded. "Why would we be in the ground?" After all, earth was what they planted the crops in.

Zordon and Azarand both laughed at his statement, Ali's eyes narrowed in irritation.

"No Ali, we are on a planet called Earth." Zordon clarified, "specifically, we are near a town called Angel Grove. Earth is about 3,000 light years from your home planet of Taurus."

Ali was for the third time that day, shocked. "Light years? What does that mean?" He asked, his voice raised in concern.

Zordon was quick to reply, seeing Ali's facial expression. "It means that nearly 3,000 years have passed between your experiences at Milosevich and this moment. Well 2,987 years to be exact."

Both Ali and now Azarand were stunned into silence, but had no idea how this had happened.

"If so much time has passed," Azarand's voice was breaking with confusion, "how have we not become ancestors?"

Zordon looked at the faces of both children before replying to Azarand's question. "You two haven't aged a day more than when I took you from your planet. It happened because my powers allowed me to, for all purposes, put you two in a state of deep freeze hibernation. It preserved you two as you were as we crossed the many trillions of miles between Taurus and Earth."

"But what does that mean, for Earth?" Ali asked, his body language suggesting he was still not able to comprehend what he was being told.

Zordon turned to Ali and fixed him with a small smile. "It means young Ali that over 3,000 years have passed on this planet. Countless civilizations have come and gone, emperors and rulers have lived and died, wars were won and lost, logical thinking has come to fruition, and now modern technology has reached its golden age. "

Both brothers seemed to understand a little bit more after Zordon's explanation, but still had plenty of more questions for the robed man.

"But why here? Why Earth?" Azarand's face betrayed his need for an answer to his question.

Zordon sighed before he began his lengthy explanation. "Because a great evil is about to descend on this pale blue dot. A number of evil beings have their sights set on this planet, Scorpius, the monster who destroyed your planet, included."

Both brothers gasped at the revelation, Ali's hands balling into fists as his anger seeped through his body. The realization that Scorpius could wipe out this planet like he did to Taurus caused a cold feeling of dread to settle in their stomachs.

Zordon continued in his explanation. "Here on Earth, I intend to take a select few individuals, ones that have exemplified themselves above all the rest, and mould them into a group to fight against this oncoming evil. In a few years, I will form the first team of Power Rangers." Zordon's voice had a deep confidence and a tone of excitement.

"What will become of us Zordon?" Azarand asked the elder man sitting before him.

Zordon took a moment to look between Ali and Azarand before replying. "You two will become protectors of all that is good." He simply said.

Ali responded instantly. "But if these Power Rangers are to combat evil, what will we do if they're already protecting the good from the bad?"

"With the oncoming darkness, you two will be thrust into fighting this newfound evil. The Power Rangers are a group that can fight only so many monsters, you two will join a team of a select few that I have handpicked that will fight all that they cannot handle. Your duties will be protecting all that is good in this universe, such as the Lights of Orion, my creation to be given to those that are most worthy. There will be many beings out looking to capture them; you will be entrusted to protect the lights from those unworthy. You two will also be the protectors of those who protect others. You two will be the guardians of the Power Rangers, silently watching over them, protecting them from evil that will test their combined strength. It is your responsibility, your duty, to make sure as little harm comes to them as possible." Zordon sighed as he finished his lengthy monologue.

Ali and Azarand were rooted to the ground in awe. Everything they'd wanted to do, they now could. Like their father and brother, they could also fight against evil.

While the two brothers were lost in thought, Zordon was deep in thought. He decided to tell the twins of the challenges that lay ahead. "You two must practice caution. There are a great many dangers out in the galaxy, some of which will test your abilities. While I have a group of handpicked individuals to protect the Power Rangers and galactic goodness, our enemy has a far greater number of agents who are looking to destroy that goodness and you as well."

Both Azarand and Ali nodded their heads in understanding; they'd been in danger before.

"So….. what would we be called?" Azarand asked Zordon. Despite the stern warning given mere moments earlier, Ali couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Zordon gave a small smile as well. "You two will be joining a select team, as I've said before. These individuals are leaders, known as clerics, and they answer to me. They call themselves Zordonian Clerics."

"Whoa," both Ali and Azarand responded.

"When do we get to fight the bad guys?" Ali asked, excitement and anxiousness dripping from his voice, apparently he wanted in on the action as soon as possible.

Zordon seemed to stare a hole through his body before he replied to Ali's question. "It will take many years of training to become a Zordonian Cleric. Training will be hard and grueling, unlike anything you've ever experienced before." Zordon told the pair in a rough tone, looking at them both. Them a grin came across his face and his tone became lighter. "So, think you two can handle it?"

"Yes!" Both younglings replied, shouting and pumping their fists into the air.

Their journey to becoming clerics had begun. They would be destined to meet many Power Rangers, and their path would lead them to their father again.


	4. Destiny Calls

**I own nothing except the OC's! All further credit should be given to Saban and S &W.**

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Chapter 4: Destiny Calls

 **10 Years Later**

It had been a decade since Ali and Azarand had joined Zordon. Throughout these years the pair had become students of the man, who they soon realized was more like a divine entity than an earthly being. He took them under his wing, and taught them all he knew about evil and the forces they would face, with their teachings complete, their training began. Training was long and hard, physically challenging them, and sometimes, downright painful. The pair was being taught by the three seasoned members of Zordon's clerics,along with two other younglings, the seven individuals comprised all that stood between the Power Rangers and the forces out to destroy them. Both Azarand and Ali were extremely excited to meet the members of the Power Rangers. They first met a group a couple of years after they'd joined with Zordon. Tommy Oliver, Jason Scott, and Kimberly Hart had all grown to bond closely with the pair, quickly becoming good friends. Both Ali and Azarand also formed close friendships with other rangers as well. Ali and Billy Cranston grew especially close, each with a common love of science. Azarand bonded closely with Adam Park, the second black ranger, their love of movies getting the better of them. Zordon informed them that it was crucial that his clerics remain hidden in plain sight, lest their abilities to protect be curtailed if they were to be exposed. Zordon wished all his clerics help the people they protected in some way. The three former cleric's accomplished this through teaching, public safety, or piloting. Ali and Azarand had always wanted to be teachers, they now had their shot. With Zordon's support they began going to public schools like any regular Earthling. Managing schoolwork with their duties as upcoming cleric's was tough, but Zordon told them it was a lesson in organization and priority management. And goodness was he right.

The teams of Power Rangers came and went, each group giving up their powers so that they next generation would bring the fight to evil. This dismayed Ali and Azarand greatly because without their powers, former rangers would make easy pickings for the ever constant enemy. However, Zordon soothed their fears; he revealed to them that a ranger's power never leaves their body. "Simply because they no longer have their morphers," Zordon told the pair, "does not mean they don't have their powers. Indeed, they may no longer be able to look like Power Rangers, but they retain the powers gifted to them, they will remain Power Rangers for the rest of their lives." The comment reassured the pair, who were both, shocked when Zordon revealed that all the morphers gifted to Rangers were carefully secured, stored, and preserved. "For potential future usage," Zordon told them.

After a number of more years training and seeing many groups of Rangers pass by, Ali and Azarand finally got their chance to prove themselves.

When a group of Rangers consisting of T.J Johnson, Ashley Hammond, Cassie Chan, Carlos Vallerte, and Justin Stewart began their mission to fight against the evil Divatox, Ali and Azarand received their first assignment.

"Your primary objective will be to track an asset we have coming in from the unknown regions of the galaxy." The Cleric in Charge, Rex Mudlanya, a young and bashful adult, told the two. "Our ally has a vulnerability, a red ruby that sustains his life; you must monitor him at all times. Understood?"

"Sir, we do. But when do we get into the good stuff?" Azarand asked his superior.

"Patience is a virtue Az. You two will soon, but you are still not fully ready" Rex referred to Azarand with his affectionately given nickname.

With their mission clear, the pair set down for a long time of observation and analysis.

They tracked the Phantom Ranger through his entering of the atmosphere, and eventual landing near a soccer field where Justin Stewart was playing a pickup game.

They watched with satisfaction as the Phantom Ranger dispatched the numerous Piranahatrons, both Ali and Azarand beamed with excitement. They'd never seen something so amazing, so incredible, and so honorable. They then turned their attention back to giving the Power Rangers coordinates to where the Phantom Ranger was, hoping the Rangers could catch a glimpse of their new ally in this fight. It worked, Cassie had caught a fleeting glimpse of the Phantom Ranger, who'd even spoken to her. Both Ali and Azarand were thoroughly pleased at the outcome.

Standing up from their work area, the pair made their way down a flight to steps to the small common area at the Control Center. The area where the clerics resided was below the main building, and kept a closely guarded secret, even from the Power Rangers. However, the Phantom Ranger was a different story, Zordon had informed them that the Phantom Ranger was an old ally of his, and had clearance to be in the area.

No sooner had the pair sat down in chairs that a faint humanoid outline appeared in front of them. The Phantom Ranger had arrived. After a few moments, the Phantom Ranger deactivated his cloak and made himself known.

Both Ali and Azarand were stunned at how close they were to the Phantom Ranger. He, who was so stealthy that he had kept himself from the Power Rangers eyes', had decided to show himself to them, they felt honored to some degree.

"I wanted to meet two of the new ones." The Phantom Ranger said, getting down on a knee in front of Ali and Azarand, putting himself eye level.

"Well we are new, but why didn't you go visit Mulk or Ishmail?" Azarand asked the black suited individual in front of him.

"Because they don't have a story like you two do, a story that is much like mine." The Phantom Ranger told the pair, surprising both of them.

"What do you mean like us? " Ali asked, hesitant and a little insulted that someone would speak of the horror that his family and his planet went through so candidly.

"Like you, my planet was destroyed and I was forced to flee. Because I helped Zordon, he sustained my life through this red ruby. And for millennia I have fought against the evil that destroyed my planet, much like you two will do when the time is right." After he concluded speaking, the Phantom Ranger put his hand on his chest and touched the red ruby embedded there. A brief but comfortable silence followed, broken when the Phantom Ranger stood up. "Evil calls, I must be going." He said before he vanished once more.

That was the first and last time they saw the Phantom Ranger, the being went on to help the Power Rangers a great deal before Earth was eventually saved from Divatoxs' evil plan.

It was only after more arduous work that Ali and Azarand finally succeeded.

"We come here today to recognize two of our newest members, Ali and Azarand, as clerics. Your training is complete, now all that remains is for you to choose your weapons." Zordon spoke in a deep voice, beside him Cleric in Charge Mudlanya stood in silence.

"Weapons? What kind of weapons will we get?" Ali asked surprised.

This time, Cleric Mudlanya responded to the question. "A cleric will receive revolvers and blades to be carried on your person at all times. While our enemy agents carry magazine fed hand blasters, Zordon feels that if a cleric knows he has six or twelve shots, those shots will be made to count. Only, and I mean only, do you use lethal force when you are in mortal danger, which will most likely come from these enemy agents. "

"Who are these supposed agents? I mean, I thought all these monsters have their spies, but from what you're saying, that doesn't sound like it at all." Azarand deadpanned the question at Mudlanya.

The Cleric in Charge looked over towards Zordon, who answered the question. "You are correct in your assessment Azarand. While monsters like Divatox, Lord Zedd, and Scorpius have their spies, there is a far greater evil lurking in the shadows. Just as I represent the light and goodness in the galaxy, when I was a sentient, I too had an arch nemesis. Her name was Kypton, and once she became a spirit like I did, she used her powers for great darkness. Her influence extends far beyond any one star system, and she has a great many number of agents, agents that are equivalent to you clerics. She has thousands of them; it seems that doing evil deeds is easier than following the path of righteousness. I have you seven, and she has at least a thousand. I must caution you, many former clerics have given into the darkness and joined her…. Do not let that happen to you. Keep the goodness that your father and brother fight for alive." Zordon concluded his warning; both Ali and Azarand were fearful, but confident that they would not let Zordon, their father, or their brother down. They would fight against this Kypton.

In front of them, numerous rows of weapons appeared.

"How will we know what to choose?" Ali asked, his gaze swinging over the rows of weaponry.

"Fear not Al, the weapons will choose you." Cleric Rex told him, smiling while mentioning his nickname.

Walking forward Ali felt drawn to a revolver. It had a shiny silver frame, with a beautiful wooden grip. Picking it up, he knew it was for him.

Rex walked up behind him. "Ah, that one's a goodie. Smith and Wesson Model 627 in .357 magnum with a 2 ½ inch barrel. It holds eight rounds and packs a wallop of a punch. While it looks small, don't underestimate its power, it will punch through many a monster's armor."

Ali again felt himself being drawn to another said revolver, this one looking bigger than the Model 627 he held in his hand. Picking it up, the silver frame remained the same, but a jet black rubber grip met his hand instead of wood. He noticed it was quite a bit heavier as well.

"Smith and Wesson Model 629 in .44 magnum. It has a 4 inch barrel with a compensator at the end to reduce the savage kick. It suits you, small but feisty. "Rex laughed at his statement, Ali playfully socking him in the arm.

"Azarand, it is your turn for your weapons to choose you." Zordon spoke, giving the now teenager a playful nudge. Azarand didn't budge, a little fearful about the proposition of carrying such weaponry.

Rex looked at him and smiled. " Azarad, when I first got my weapons, I was afraid of them. I didn't know if I could handle such power. Now look at me," the cleric opened his suit jacket to reveal a used but trusty revolver in its holster on his hip, "I wouldn't part with my six shooter for anything. There is a reason these weapons choose you, maybe on some level, they know you can handle what they will throw at you."

Reassured, Azarand nodded and walked forward, stopping just in front of his brother.

Stepping up to the weapons rack, Azarand was instantly drawn to a jet black colored revolver. Gripping it by its black rubber handle, he examined it. It appear quite a bit larger and beefier than his brothers smaller .357 Model 627, it made him smile, perhaps when I came to defensive carry weapons, he would outmatch his brother.

"Whoa, no one that I can remember has been chosen by that particular piece." Cleric Rex Mudlanya's voice was filled with awe. "What you got there is a Smith and Wesson Governor. It's what I call the shotgun of revolvers, literally. It can chamber .45ACP, .45 Colt, and .410 shotgun shells. You have a miniature armory in there. The .410 shells can take out a great number of enemies with just one shot, and the .45 caliber rounds are small but powerful, they will get the job done."

Feeling no more tugs at his mind, Azarand returned to his spot beside his brother.

Rex and Zordon stepped forward, each clasping hands on their shoulders. "We are both very proud of you. Will this process over, all that remains is for you to get your service belts, which contain your holsters, ammunition, and other defensive weapons such as blades. With this complete, you two are now members of this great group. We are proud to call you Cleric." Rex spoke in a formal tone, although the smile on his face made his formality melt away.

With the process complete, the two new clerics's, Ali and Azarand, were left alone with Zordon, Rex exiting to receive an update on the Power Rangers.

Zordon smiled at them before responding. "It seems that our Power Rangers have protected the planet from destruction. It also seems that Lord Zedd and Rita are no more, as a spell I cast has purified this planet from evil. "Both Ali and Azarand beamed with excitement. " However, this evil is a continuous process. A new monster is coming, Scorpius." Ali and Azarand's happiness turned into fear and dread.

"Fear not, he will have you get through you two." Zordon said, a small grin of confidence upon his face. In front of him, Ali and Azarand gawked at the notion of themselves fighting against Scorpius. "In a short time, an expedition of humans from Earth will be leaving the planet on a giant space station called Terra Venture. This space station is the exemplification of modern human ingenuity, but its leaving the planet behind means that it will be far from our protection here at the Control Center. I need clerics on board to defend the citizens and the Power Rangers."

"What do you mean Power Rangers?" Ali asked, still a bit shaken with the knowledge regarding Scorpius.

"A group of individuals that will come from across the galaxy will end up on Terra Venture. I cannot say how, but it is in their destiny. With it, the Lights of Orion, my ancient creation, have made their presence felt. Additionally, Scorpius' flotilla is on the move, where it is headed I know not, but I can guarantee Terra Venture will be a target."

It took a moment for both Ali and Azarand to take in the information.

"For these reasons, I am assigning you two as the clerics to travel aboard this space station. You will be challenged in this feat, but know that I have to utmost confidence in you two. You have survived far greater odds than this. As was said, be weary of Kypton and her agents. I have foreseen encounters with them, I have confidence you will succeed. " Zordon's face took a somber frown. " There is something I wish to confess, something that I've recently come to know. Your father and brother are still alive."

Both boys gasped at the revelation. "How?!"

Zordon sighed before responding. "I don't know how, but he has survived. During your journey away from this planet, it is in your destines that your three paths will cross. You will see your father and brother again." Seeing the look of excitement and giddiness upon the faces of the two teenagers, Zordon quickly put a hand up. "But I must warn you two, your father has changed." With that he quickly left the room.

Ali and Azarand were left standing in the common area. They were ready to be clerics, to fight against evil, to go on this adventure, but were they ready to face their father? Only time would tell.

 **Hi all! I'm sitting on the fence about this chapter, particularly the weapons choosing. I may or may not edit that in the future. Well we finally had some ranger appearances! Initally with MMPR, then Power Rangers Turbo, and a brief mention of Power Rangers In Space, and of course the lead in to Lost Galaxy. For In Space you may have noticed that Zordon didn't perish as he did in the original series, as you can tell I changed that. I needed Zordon for future chapters and felt like his "death" would mess up some of the interactions with characters and just make some chapters very confusing. I apologize in advance for any spelling errors, I'm deadbeat tired but i cranked this chapter out. I will reread this chapter in the next day or two and fix any errors.  
**

 **-LittleP**


	5. Off to Space (Quasar Quest I)

Chapter 5: Off to Space (Quasar Quest)

Ali and Azarand had been living double lives the past two years. Since receiving their titles as cleric's the pair had continued their daily lives in Angel Grove as if nothing were amiss. Both had gone to university and received degrees. Keeping with Zordon's requirement that they help others, both had decided to pursue higher levels of education. In those intervening two years, Azarand received his M.D is psychiatry while Ali got a PhD in astrophysics. Azarand worked at a hospital, treating those with mental illnesses and counseling those who needed it. Ali worked as a professor of Astronomy, teaching the public about the grand wonders of the universe.

These positions were not spontaneous. With the countdown to Terra Venture drawing closer, Azarand had gained a position as a psychologist in Terra Venture's Medical Division. Ali had been assigned Assistant Chief Astronomer at the Terra Venture observatory, located in the mountain dome. These assignments were a part of the plan; it would allow them to get onboard the space station without incident. This was imperative to Zordon's plan as two clerics would be stationed on the outpost as it travelled through interstellar space, protecting the civilians onboard from any threats.

Recently, activity had picked up once more. After the Space Rangers had completed their mission, the evil throughout the galaxy had subsided. However, recently, a spike in movements of Scorpius' flotilla, and ever increasing incursion attempts by Kypton's agents had Zordon and his seven clerics on edge. The question wasn't if another attack would come, it was only a matter of time. For now, Ali and Azarand would continue their lives, remaining ever vigilant in case evil reared its evil head.

 **Many light years away**

He had no idea how long he'd been trapped in this darkened tomb. He had lost count, but he knew it was millennia. For many hundreds of years, the Magna Defender had done nothing but grieves and plot his revenge since falling into the crevice on Miranoi. In those many centuries, the man who was once a warm and loving father had turned into a cold, uncaring being. A grieving father had fallen into the hole in the earth, but a soulless and vengeful villain would come out. And mark his words, he would come out. He could sense it; he knew the time was approaching when he would be free from this tomb that had imprisoned him for the last three millennia.

 _I only have to wait a little more, then Scorpius, you will rue the day you were created._ The Magna Defender thought, a maniacal grin coming to his masked face. The armor was permanent, as told by the being Zordon all those years ago, once he morphed, there was no going back. He was no longer Xanos of Taurus that man had died long ago, he was now the Magna Defender, the armor was his body, it now defined who he was, and would stay with him for all of eternity.

 _Zordon_

The name swam in his head, a venomous growl coming up from deep within chest. The man had lied to him. He'd told him he had a great life ahead of him, but he'd only suffered defeat and terrible loss. The man had betrayed his trust, and for that he would never forgive nor forget him. He would destroy Scorpius, but he wouldn't spare Zordon if he found him.

In the 3,000 years he had been trapped, the Magna Defender's thoughts were so consumed by rage and vengefulness that his memories before becoming the now defeated warrior in armor were blurry. He no longer remembered much of his two young sons, occasionally a fleeting thought would glance through his mind, but the centuries of ever increasing rage had destroyed such pleasant memories. He remembered his older son, Zika, as it was his death which had driven him down his path of hatred and revenge. The Magna Defender had truly lost any ounce of humanity long ago.

 _Soon, my plans will be put in place._

 **Angel Grove, California**

Azarand had been the first one of the pair to notice the flyers going up around the city. It proclaimed that Terra Venture was "an adventure….. of a lifetime." Going back to the apartment he shared with his brother, he pulled out one such flyer.

"It sure is, considering we'll never see Earth again." Ali said, putting the flyer in his briefcase that sat on the dining table.

Azarand removed his suit jacket, and put it on the dining room chair to his left. The move exposed the holstered jet black S&W Governor that he'd received when he became a cleric.

"Az, I have a question." Ali told his brother, his voice soft and somber.

Leaning over the table, Azarand spoke in a soft voice meant to comfort. "What bothers you Al?"

"I've been having nightmares about what happened to us. The genocide." Ali's eyes filled with unshed tears.

Azarand saw his brother's emotional state. "I know, I've had them to, but we cannot change the past. But we can stop anything like that from happening again." Azarand placed his hand on top of his brothers.

Ali smiled at the move, until they were interrupted by the phone ringing.

Walking over to the phone, Ali glanced at the number before picking it up. "Need to meet with us boss?" He asked, referring to Zordon. Both he and Azarand had given Zordon the nickname after seeing it used on numerous television shows.

Nodding he hung up the phone before looking to his brother. "Terra Venture is in orbit, Zordon wants us back at HQ for a rundown of our mission."

Azarand nodded, and soon both were out the doors headed to the Command Center.

Once at the Command Center they were greeted by Zordon and Cleric in Charge Rex Mudlanya.

"Welcome young ones, your departure is fast approaching, but we feel like you needed to be briefed on this situation." Zordon told the two young adults standing in front of him.

"Scorpius?" Was all that Azarand said.

"Yes, his minion, Furio, along with droves of stingwingers has attacked a planet called Miranoi. He is attempting to gain control over the Quasar Sabers." Rex informed the two clerics.

This sent up a red flag in the two brothers' minds. "Quasar Sabers? If he gets such power it could spell doom for everything." Ali noted, fear plain in his voice.

Zordon was quick to calm both brothers down. "No need to fear, he will not get control over the Quasar Sabers. Only those who are worthy will be able to pull them from the stone, I would know, I put them there."

Ali was quick to jump in. "Well, when that will happen boss? A planet is under attack, and we need those worthy ones ASAP."

Zordon put a hand up meant to stop the young man's worry. "The chosen ones will find their way to Miranoi, you will know when you see them. However, there has been a slight change of plan. It seems that there may be some difficulty in getting a certain individual on board. I need you two to make sure he makes it on board, if not, it will make our position to combat Scorpius even more difficult than it already is."

"Who is this man boss?" Azarand asked.

"Leo Corbett," was all Zordon said.

"The space station leaves in a day, we will not be able to see you two off I'm afraid. Good luck out there, and remember, wear your uniforms, lapel pins, and wigs so we can stay in touch." Cleric in Charge Rex Mudlanya told the pair, both he and Zordon smiling before leaving the room. The wigs he was referring to were clear earpieces, comparable to those worn by Secret Service, which would allow the two clerics's to remain in contact with Zordon wherever they may be. The standard cleric uniform was a simple suit and tie, Zordon preferred his clerics wear what they liked, as it showed their individuality. On their suits, clerics wore Zordon's symbol as a small lapel pin.

With their objectives clear, the pair set off to collect their belongings and head to the shuttle departures. They would also need to find this Leo Corbett.

Leo Corbett didn't know what to do. He'd tried getting into the check in counters but was thrown out by security.

"It's not fair." He muttered under his breath. His brother Mike got to head on this adventure because he was Commander Stanton's head of security. He didn't want to leave his brother, who he would probably never see again if he didn't get on board.

Walking away from the terminal building, he was very upset. As he walked down an adjacent alley he kicked a box and slammed his fist on a dumpster. Leaning up against a wall, he thought about what to do next.

His thoughts were interrupted by a frail voice shouting, "get away!" Turning his head he saw an elderly lady being surrounded by three men. Running over to the scene, Leo shouted for the three of them to leave the lady alone, the men quickly surrounded him. Gently grabbing the elderly woman's Terra Venture ticket, Leo shoved it into the face of one of the men. The man threw a punch but Leo was quick to dodge the fist, quickly using his moves his brother had taught him, Leo began to fight the attackers. He was quickly outnumbered, and found his skills pushed to the limit. He didn't know if he would come out of this incident unscathed, he needed help, but didn't think any would come.

It was as if his thoughts were answered when a second later, a man in a gray suit with a black tie, wearing aviators, and a gray flat cap joined the fray. The gray suited man kicked one of the attackers down while crushing a broken chair over the other. Both men went down hard, moaning in pain. This left Leo to deal with the one man on him, who he quickly dropped to the ground. The three men stared back up at the two men.

The flat cap wearing man stepped past Leo and grabbed one of the men by the scruff of his neck. "Don't you ever come here again, got it?" The man said, his voice filled with venom, he hadn't let go of the man for more than a few seconds, before the three would be attacker's scurried away, fear in their eyes.

With the muggers gone, Leo turned towards the elderly woman and gave her the ticket back. "Here you go ma'am".

The woman appeared grateful towards Leo and the other young man. "Thank you two, the world needs more of people like you." The woman said before beginning her journey toward the shuttle departures terminal.

With the woman gone, Leo turned towards the gray suited man who was standing behind him. "Thanks for helping me out back there."

The young man gave a smile before replying. "You are most welcome. Now we must find you a way to get on board Terra Venture, Mr. Corbett."

Leo's eyes widened at the man's words. "How do you know who I am?"

Again the man gave a small smile before replying. "Do not fear Leo. I am a person trying to help you. I've been sent on this adventure to make sure everything goes smoothly for you. First, is trying to get you on board without a departure ticket."

"Since you know my name, it's only fair I know yours." Leo told the man in front of him.

"That is of no problem to me. My name is Alex Asrith." Azarand told Leo an alias. He was still apprehensive of this unknown person knowing his true identity. He needed this man to gain his trust through experience.

"Nice to meet you Alex, if I may ask, do you have a ticket?" Leo asked, shaking Azarand's hand.

Azarand gave Leo's hand a firm shake. "Indeed I do Leo. I am a psychologist in the Medical Division." Seeing Leo's eyes fall at the prospect, Azarand was quick to reassure the future red ranger. "But do not worry; I will get you on a shuttle before I head on board. Now please follow me." Azarand said, moving away from Leo, down the alley towards the shuttle departures.

Leo quickly followed the man he knew as Alex. Arriving at the tarmac, Leo and Azarand hid behind boxes of cargo. Putting his hand on Leo's shoulders, Azarand gave Leo a confident look. "The guards will leave in one minute to go check on a supposed sighting of you. That will give you a short window of time, run from here to the shuttle. Once you reach the shuttle, you will head over to the rear of the craft, once there you will find a small hatch. Open it and you're home free." With that Azarand stood and began to move away before Leo's hand on his wrist stopped him.

"How do you know all this? Why for me?" Asked Leo, wondering why this man was helping him.

"Because you are far more important than you realize. Now go!" Azarand yelled as he walked away.

Leo sprinted to the shuttle and opened the hatch. Once inside, he knew he was headed off on the adventure of a lifetime.

After leaving Leo Corbett, Azarand walked to the departures terminal. After handing his ticket to the agent and going past security, he boarded a shuttle that was headed to the space station orbiting above. As he boarded, he found that his brother, Ali, was on the same shuttle. Ali was clothed in a black suit wearing a red tie, along with a homburg hat atop his head. Pinned to his suit lapel was the symbol of Zordon. Ali, seeing his brother, tipped his hat slightly, inviting his brother to sit by him. Azarand strode over and sat beside his brother, taking off his gray flat cap and drew in a deep sigh.

Ali removed his hat and turned towards Azarand. "Did Corbett make it on?"

Azarand nodded wordlessly.

Ali sighed in relief. "Well that's good. First objective complete, one in a set of many I presume. "

Azarand turned toward his brother. "But, we're up to it, right?" Azarand gave a small smile.

Ali nodded his head and gave his brother a pat on his shoulder. "Indeed we are cleric, indeed we are."

Azarand smiled at the mention of his title. Seeing a flash of red to his right, Azarand looked over and saw the man he'd helped stow on board, Leo Corbett.

Azarand smiled as he whispered, "Leo."

Turning to the voice, Leo smiled as he saw the man who helped him get on board. "Alex!"

Hearing voices near him, Ali turned to see his brother and an unknown man engaging in conversation.

Seeing the man sitting next to Alex looking at him, Leo silenced himself.

Seeing Leo's reaction, Azarand turned to Ali and playfully socked him in the chest. "You're scaring him." Azarand whispered.

Turning back to Leo, Azarand whispered, "This is my brother, Ali."

Ali gave Leo a small smile. "I'm Ali Mr. Corbett, it's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you Ali, do you work on Terra Venture as well?" Leo asked.

Ali gave him a small smile. "Yes, I will work as the astronomer at the observatory in the mountain dome."

"Nice." Was all Leo said before a small thump heralded their arrival on Terra Venture.

Standing up the trio took a moment before everyone else had disembarked before Ali turned to Leo. "Leo, you will still have security looking for you here. You will have to blend in; I suggest wearing a soldier's uniform and finding your brother. It will make your experience that less stressful."

Leo looked shocked before he turned to Azarand. "How does he know?"

Ali answered the question. "Because Leo, like my brother, I've been assigned to make sure you have a smooth trip, and are not harmed."

"Who are you people?" Leo asked, a little fearful of the men in front of him.

Azarand was the one who calmed him. "Be calm Leo, we are not trying to scare you. We are looking out for you to make sure you're safe. Our mission would be a failure should harm come to you. In time you will find out more details about us, but for now, that is all we will say. Now I suggest you get on with the plan, security will come aboard the shuttle to do a final check in a few minutes. Good luck."

With that Azarand and Ali shook Leo's hand and departed the shuttle, heading towards their assigned quarters.

Ali put on his hat and turned to his brother. "Do you think this will all work out? Will he run into them?"

Azarand turned to his brother, and also put on his gray flat cap. "I do think he will run into them. When that happens, their journey to the Quasar Sabers, a thus their journey to become Rangers will be set in motion. For now we wait, it is out of our hands."

With that the pair walked out of the arrivals building, towards a new adventure.

Leo Corbett was presently escaping from the security guards that were chasing after him. He was so focused on running that he ran into a young woman. Picking himself and her off the ground he smiled at her. The woman was blonde, wore glasses, and was wearing a pink Terra Venture uniform. To her right, a man with black hair and wearing a blue uniform was looking at him.

Saying his apologies, Leo continued on his journey and following Ali's direction, soon acquired a soldier's uniform. After being caught up in a platoon of soldiers, Leo was taken on a moon combat exercise. It was there that he saved the woman he knocked down, whose name he learned was Kendrix, and the man was Kai. Soon after he was found by his brother, who was less than happy, then a woman appeared. No one knew where she'd come from. But soon after, stingwingers appeared and soon fled through a wormhole. Following his brother through the wormhole, Leo wondered what he had gotten himself into.

 **Back on Earth**

At the Command Center, Zordon smiled at the events. "All a part of the plan."


	6. A Part of the Plan? (Quasar Quest II)

Chapter 6: A Part of the Plan?( Quasar Quest II)

 **Terra Venture**

As Kai walked back to the military transport that would take him back to Terra Venture, all he could think about was what had just happened. Some portal or a wormhole had materialized out of thin air, and into it went his teammate Kendrix, his leader Mike, and the new guy, Leo. He didn't know what to think, the guilt at having left them behind weighed heavy on him.

As the transport lifted off, Kai made the decision that he needed to find his friends, but he didn't know how. As he stepped off the transport, he began noticing the flyers to the Astro Megaship museum.

 _The Astro Megaship? Surely it would help me find Kendrix, Mike, and Leo._ Kai thought, anxiousness at the need to find his friends clawed at him.

Running to the museum, Kai ordered that all the tourists leave, and soon began preparations for liftoff. At least he thought they were preparations, Kai really had no idea how to start up, nonetheless pilot the ship.

The ships robotic caretaker, Alpha came up behind him and demanded to know what was going on. Kai attempted to explain what had happened and that the ship would fly again, but it sounded like Alpha wasn't buying any of it. Then to his right, Kai saw a movement of green.

"Fly?" The question was followed mere seconds later by further comments. "This is some kind a joke right?" A man in a dark green Terra Venture uniform stated as he walked towards Kai.

"Who are you?" Kai questioned the unknown man.

"Damon Henderson, the mechanic on board." Kai closed his eyes, his plan just died before his eyes.

Kai sighed in resignation. "Look, I'm trying to rescue my friends. They went through a wormhole and this ship is the only way to make it through to rescue them."

Damon looked like he was on the verge of laughing before walking off, muttering to himself about the craziness on Terra Venture.

Kai wasn't about to give up. Taking the initiative, he went over to the control panel, and began to press buttons. Ordering DECA to close the exit ramps, he began pressing even more buttons.

Flashing lights, blaring sirens, and the ship yawing back and forth was what greeted his actions.

"I know I'm going to regret this." Kai heard, and soon Damon had taken his place at the controls. The mechanic was able to get the former museum off the ground and soon into space.

Soon they approached a black hole.

"Alpha will the ship survive the energy flux?" Kai asked, Damon looked over at him in shock.

"We come this far and now you ask if the ship will survive!?" Damon yelled, however saying once again that he was out of his mind, he stayed at the controls and piloted the Astro Megaship through the black hole.

Sitting at the observatory in the mountain dome, Ali quietly looked through the large telescope while Azarand scrolled pages in a book on Ali's desk adjacent to the telescope.

"It looks like everything is going to plan so far." Azarand quipped, his eyes still fixed on the pages beneath him.

Ali tore his gaze away from the telescope and sighed. "Azzie, how many times have I told you that reading my astronomy books would bore you half to death?"

Azarand also tore his gaze away from the book, glaring at his brother. "Oh, about as many times as I've told you not to use that stupid nickname, Al." Azarand smiled in playfulness.

Ali merely shook his head, exasperated. "Getting back to your original question, yes, it does appear that everything has gone according to plan. At first I was quite skeptical of Zordon being so precise in foretelling of destinies, but now I'm not so sure."

Azarand shook his head and stood up. "Come brother, have some faith. And listen to your earpiece more; you may end up catching a detail or two." He said, walking over and playfully swatting the back of his brother's head.

Ali whipped around and rubbed his short brown hair, looking at Azarand as if he'd grown another head. "Okay, I'm calling it a day. We can monitor their progress back at the apartment." Ali said, his surprise quickly fading.

Nodding his head in agreement, Azarand moved to put the book away, and placed his gray flat cap upon his head. Turning around, he saw that Ali was putting on his black trench coat, and matching homburg hat before he moved to the door.

Both brother's exited the observatory and began their journey back to the city.

Opening the door, both Ali and Azarand had barely taken off their hats and coats before they plopped down onto the small couch.

On the drive back, their earpieces revealed that the destined red ranger, Leo had grown a little too cocky, and had paid for it.

"Did you hear how Leo acted once he saw those stingwingers? I mean, saying okay three on one isn't too bad? Are you serious?" Azarand's voice was full of disappointment and shock. "That doesn't seem like ranger material if you ask me."

Ali smiled towards the wall. "While I agree it was cocky, Zordon told us that Leo would live up to his expectations. Like you said brother, have faith."

 **Miranoi**

Leo was wondering through the forests with his brother, Kendrix, and the native girl, Maya. He'd been rescued by them from the group of stingwingers that he foolishly thought he could take.

Close by he heard a loud voice ordering another to hand over the Quasar Sabers, the voice screamed that he would never be worthy.

The group got to the ground and began to move closer. When the stern voice said that it would destroy the planet, Maya took a defensive stance and leapt over the crowd they had hid behind.

"Don't touch him!" She shouted at the monster, Furio.

"And who is going to stop me?" A smug Furio told Maya.

"The four of us!" Leo said, running up to stand beside Maya, Mike and Kendrix doing the same.

"Just the four of you?" Furio said, gesturing to the group.

"Wrong!" A voice shouted, as Kai and Damon came up behind Furio, who turned around in surprise. "The six of us!" Kai shouted.

"Attack!" Furio shouted, the stingwingers moved in to surround and engage the individuals.

"I'm tired of toying with you!" Furio shouted, kicking Mike to the ground. Holding his sword above his head, he began to bring it down onto Mike, with the intent to destroy.

Mike reached behind his head and grabbed onto a Quasar Saber that was stuck in stone. Pulling it, the sword came out of its 3,000 year old home. Swinging it, Mike connected with Furio's saber, a shower of sparks and energy sent Furio crashing to the ground.

Everyone around looked on in shock and awe.

Mike was quickly joined by Kai, Damon, Maya, and Kendrix. Each of them put their hands on their respective sabers and pulled them out of the stone. They were the chosen ones.

 **Terra Venture**

"Whoa." Azarand said simply.

Wordlessly, Ali nodded, putting his hand up to his earpiece, trying to hear more.

 **Miranoi**

"If I can't have the sabers, then no one will!" Furio shouted, before embedding his sword into the ground, solid rock flowing out, solidifying everything in its path. Water, boats, homes, and people were entombed in solid rock.

"Run!" Kai shouted as the wave of rock closed in on them.

The group had no choice but to flee. Soon they found their path blocked by Furio and a hoard of stingwingers.

"Did you really think you could run away from me?" Furio said, laughing menacingly.

The monster thrust his sword into the ground and a crevice opened up. The rangers jumping to either side, Mike however, straddled both sides. Unable to escape Mike fell into the huge fissure, holding onto the sheer wall for dear life.

"Mike!" Leo shouted, rushing over to the wall. "Grab my hand!" He shouted, extending his hand towards Mike.

"Leo I can't." Mike said in a resigned voice. "You can carry on without me! Take the saber!"

Leo was reluctant, but eventually took possession of the saber.

"I've always been proud of you." Mike said as he let go, falling into the dark abyss.

"NOOOO!" Leo shouted, the fissure closing before his very eyes. He'd just lost his brother forever.

 **Terra Venture**

Both Ali and Azarand sat in shock at what they heard. Both had long since pressed their hands hard against their earpieces, straining to hear more.

"What the hell just happened?" Ali asked his brother.

Azarand took his hand away from the earpiece. "I have no idea. Did we just lose one of them? His name was Mike, Leo's brother."

Ali was silent for a moment. "Was this part of the plan? It sure doesn't seem like it."

Both them felt a sense of calm envelop them. The voices of the rangers cut out in their earpieces before another voice was heard.

"Fear not young ones; it is a part of their destiny. They had to experience hardship before they truly were able to become Rangers." Zordon spoke quickly and softly, soon his voice had faded and the action on Mironoi was soon flooding through their ears.

Both Ali and Azarand were left feeling a little uncomfortable at the loss of Mike but nonetheless felt a little better, knowing that it had all gone as was foreseen. They had a feeling that they would see Mike again.

So they continued their listening.

 **The Astro Megaship**  
Leo stood and watched as the planet slowly moved away from the ship. Just a few minutes before he and the rest of the group had their first morph, battling Furio and countless stingwingers before they had to retreat from the oncoming wave of solidifying rock. As he stared at the diminishing planet, Leo was lost in thought about his big brother, he wish he knew what to do next.

Then a flash of memory glanced through his mind, he remembered those two young men, a little younger than he was, who helped him get on board. He remembered that they said they were there to look out for him, and they talked an awful lot about destiny.

Alex and Ali, Leo remembered their names to be.

 _Perhaps I would find them at the observatory._ Leo thought to himself, vowing to find the two and try to get some answers when they got back to Terra Venture.

 **Back on Miranoi**

The Magna Defender lay where he had for 3,000 years, waiting for his chance to be free, waiting for an opportunity to present itself for him to begin his war against Scorpius.

He heard a rumbling noise before light began to filter its way into his helmet. Turning onto his back he looked up and saw a body falling towards him. He registered the man's screams of terror mere seconds later. Grasping his sword, he threw it towards the falling body, the sword catching and pinning the man to the cave wall opposite to him.

Seeing his chance at escape, the Magna Defender switched life forces with the man. His body now occupied where the man once was hanging, the man's soul a part of the Magna Defender now.

Accepting the consequence of carrying around the spirit of another person, the Magna Defender used his power to leap out of the crevice.

No sooner had he exited the crevice did the walls slam shut, creating a massive explosion of dust and sound. The Magna Defender landed on soft ground after 3,000 years of being surrounded by jagged rocks. His armor and cape that had once been in tatters, was now shining anew. Smiling under his helmet, the Magna Defender thought about what to do next. He would find his Torozord and bring havoc onto Scorpius and his minions for all the suffering he'd been through.

"Finally, I'm free." The Magna Defender said, looking down at his black gauntleted hands before walking off.

He had a mission to complete.

 **Command Center, Angel Grove**

Cleric in Charge Rex Mudlanya turned to Zordon, who was deep in thought. "He's out." Was all he said, the veteran cleric waited for Zordon to respond.

"I've felt it. He is so different from when I last saw him. He was once bright and joyful, now he's dark and full of hate. He's more villainous than ever." Zordon spoke solemnly, remembering the conversation he had all those years ago with Xanos and Zika on Taurus.

"How do you think the two will take it? Do they know he is their father?" Rex asked, concern for his two clerics shooting through him.

"No they do not know. Hells I didn't know he would turn into some sort of villain. Fear not Rex, the twins aren't as easily defeated as you think. I'm sure they will be shocked when they find out, but it will not make them waiver from their main objective. "Rex was shocked when Zordon's hand came up and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What if the Magna Defender doesn't care what lies in his way? Even if it's the Rangers? Would the two be able to protect them knowing that he is their father?" Rex was concerned that this would compromise the twins' ability to protect the new Power Rangers.

Zordon turned his head and stared into Rex's eyes. "While it will be difficult for them to fight their father, if it comes to blows, I have no doubt that Ali and Azarand will see the evil beneath the armor and instinctually fight against it. I know they won't try to destroy the Magna Defender if they knew who he was, but they would defend the rangers as they were destined to do. It is in their hands now." Zordon said before walking away.

 _I hope you're right Zordon. I really do_. Rex thought, before he walked back towards his quarters.


	7. New Friends (Race to the Rescue)

Chapter 7: New Friends (Race to the Rescue)

As Leo drove to the mountain dome, he couldn't help but have flashbacks about the final moments he had with his brother, Mike. He replayed the scene of himself grabbing the Quasar Saber, and of Mike's screams as he fell into the deep dark bottomless hole.

Leo shook himself out of the memories, noticing that he was on a gravel road surrounded by rolling hills and the occasional tree. Compared to the city, this was as barren as it could get on the space station. He noticed the observatory in the distance, stepping on the pedal of the small car; he made his trip that much shorter. Arriving at the observatory, he noticed that its roof was open and its large telescope pointing out towards the cosmos, meaning that someone was inside.

Finding a door to the building, Leo turned the handle and gave a push. Nothing happened. After trying a second time he found a keypad hidden under a panel, trying that also got him nothing. Sighing in frustration, he settled for knocking instead.

"Who is it!?" A voice yelled from inside. Leo instantly recognized who it was; finally he would be getting some answers.

"Ali, its Leo!" He shouted, not sure if his voice could be heard through the heavy steel door.

For a moment, all was silent, and then the sound of locks being undone was heard. The door handle turned and the door swung open.

Standing in front of Leo was Ali. The man was still dressed in his usual uniform dress shoes, dress pants, dress shirt, with a red tie. However, Leo noticed that he was also wearing a dark blue vest. On his face were a pair of glasses.

"A vest?" Leo asked the young man.

Ali laughed quietly before replying. "Yes Leo, a vest. I wore it under my suit jacket today."

Looking further, Leo eyes widened when he saw two large revolvers on Ali's waist, the firearms fitting snug in their dark brown holsters. Looking over the belt, Leo noticed that it was of sturdy construction and was filled to capacity with moon clips of extra ammunition.

Seeing Leo's eyes trail down to his waist, Ali realized that he hadn't bothered to put on his suit jacket before answering Leo's knock, thus his weapons to the man. Having no way to explain them away, Ali would settle for telling him the truth.

 _He was gonna find out anyway_. Ali thought to himself.

Leo finally spoke after his eyes had bugged out on him. "Why do you have those two things?"

Ali gave a small laugh meant to rid the atmosphere of the suffocating tension. "The correct term is revolvers. And if you're going to be specific, the one holstered to my front, right over my left thigh with a cherry wood grip is a Smith and Wesson .357 magnum with 8 rounds capacity. The larger revolver holstered at my left hip is a Smith and Wesson .44 magnum with 6 rounds of capacity." Seeing Leo continue to stare at the firearms, Ali threw his hands up exasperatingly. "Don't tell me you haven't seen guns before Leo, as I recall, there are many back on Earth."

"Well yes Ali there are, but I've never expected you to have some." Leo said honestly.

Ali gave him a small smile before replying. "Well Leo, my line of work requires me to carry firearms. In many ways, I am like you."

Leo's eyes bunched together in confusion. "What do you mean Ali?"

Ali sighed before responding. "I'm sure you've figured out that I and my brother have known an awful lot about you, and the future."

"Yes, that's why I came here, to look for answers." Leo answered.

"Well you will get your answers; I see it is futile to keep any further secrets from you." Ali moved and sat down in his desk chair and invited Leo to do the same. Leo obliged, sitting directly across from Ali.

"Who are you?" Leo asked plainly.

Ali stared at him before smiling. "Well if you must know, I am a willful servant of a being named Zordon."

"Who's Zordon?" Leo asked the man sitting in front of him.

"Zordon is the being who placed in stone the very sabers you now wield as Power Rangers." Ali said simply.

Leo's eyes widened in shock.

Ali continued, ignoring the look of disbelief on the Leo's face. "He is also responsible for creating the Power Rangers, and granting them their powers. You may think you have just recently acquired your powers, but they've been with you since you were birthed." Ali smiled at the open mouth of Leo.

"He created the Power Rangers?" Leo asked.

"He did. I was there when he was in the planning stages, if you would call it that." Ali asked, a smirk still plastered across his face.

Leo finally composed himself. "What do you mean? How are you a servant of Zordon? What does any of this mean?"

Ali held a hand up meant to calm Leo down." Whoa, catch your breath there ranger." Ali said, winking an eye at Leo. "I mean that I've been under Zordon's tutelage for many years. I arrived when I was a little over 8 years old, I am now exactly 20. I am a servant of Zordon in the sense that he acts like my boss. He tells me my mission or objectives needing to be completed, and I do them."

"Your mission? What is your mission?" Leo asked in an aggravated tone.

"My mission is to protect all that is good and light from the evil in this galaxy. My position is officially called a Zordonian Cleric, we've been around for many thousands of years, fighting against evil, the likes of which you fight against. Cleric's also have a job of protecting those that protect others, in this case, that would be you. It is my mission to protect not only Terra Venture and innocents from evil, but to also protect you from harm." Ali's tone took a stern turn as he finished his thoughts.

"Protect me from what?" Leo asked.

" There are things in this universe that are too powerful even for you Power Rangers, things so dark that not even light can escape their strangling holds. " Ali leaned in close to Leo's face as he spoke.

Leo had a stoic look on his face for many silent minutes. "What about your brother, how did you two come to be in such….. responsibility minded positions?"

Ali stared at Leo for a moment before looking down at his watch. "Ah, our time is up here. I will tell give you an answer when my brother is around. Perhaps all you Rangers will be present to hear our story and understand why we are here on Terra Venture. But for now, I think you have an appointment or date with Maya."

"Ah, what?" Leo asked, his face turning red.

"I'm a cleric Leo, remember what we just discussed. There will be a time soon in the future, and when I say future I mean soon, within the next 20 minutes. Go to Maya, and you will go from there. I cannot say what will happen but you will earn you proverbial badges today… and meet some new friends. "With that Ali playfully pushed Leo out the door and slammed it shut, shouting goodbye through the steel door.

Sighing in slight annoyance with his newfound friend and now protector, Leo got back into his car and made his way towards the city.

Leo was walking with Maya, watering the numerous plants at a public park when it happened. Maya lifted a hand to her ear and stood still.

Looking over Leo was at a loss as to what was going on. "Maya are you okay?" Leo asked her.

"Shhhhh, I hear something," Maya told Leo.

Leo perked up and tried to listen closely but still couldn't hear anything.

"Someone's in trouble." Maya told Leo in a rushed voice.

Suddenly Maya took off running, Leo ran after her.

Maya raced towards the GSA headquarters. She knew those sounds were too distant to be coming from inside the domes of Terra Venture.

She'd called Damon and told him there was an emergency.

Damon pulled up in a car and got out. "What's the emergency?" Damon asked, frustrated that his work had been interrupted.

" Maya thinks she heard something." Leo told him.

" I did hear something!" Maya argued, "we have to get to the Astro Megaship."

"The Astro Megaship?" Damon asked as the trio walked towards the docking bay.

"Damon, prepare the ship for departure." Maya ordered the mechanic, who shook his head but went about his duty.

Soon the Astro Megaship had blasted out of Terra Venture's docking bay, towards space, and an unknown destination.

An hour after departure, Maya was standing at the ship's viewport, straining to hear any further sounds. As they neared a planet with a red atmosphere, Maya heard the sounds again, louder and more distinct. "They're on that planet."

"Really, you're sure?" Damon asked, him and Leo coming up behind her.

Maya nodded her head and the team set off to the planet's surface.

Kai and Kendrix were at a loss to explain where and why Damon, Maya, and Leo had left so abruptly, and on the Astro Megaship. While walking towards their quarters, they ran into a red haired man wearing a lab coat. The three picked themselves up off the floor, and dusted themselves off.

"We're so sorry." Kai and Kendrix said in unison.

The man merely smiled. "It's okay; I know you two are in a rush to find your three friends."

Both Kendrix and Kai turned to look at each other before facing the man. "How do you know about that?" Kai asked, his tone rose in anger.

The man again smiled, and then leaned in close. "Because I know you're the Power Rangers."

That did it; Kai grabbed the man and shoved him against the opposing wall. The man didn't resist the treatment. "How do you know about that?" Kendrix asked the man.

"Because I serve the being who gave you those powers." The man said simply, seeing the look of confusion on the man's face he decided to clarify. "Ms. Morgan, look up the name Zordon in the ship's archives, there you will receive a partial answer. "

Kai let the man go. "Who are you?"

The man smiled yet again. "I will tell you once you get back, but for now, know that Leo know's who I am. Suffice to say when you're back; come to level 3 room number 411." With that the man scurried away.

Kendrix and Kai looked at the man's retreating form before they began their journey to find Maya, Leo, and Damon.

On the planet, Maya, Leo, and Damon had stumbled upon a cage containing what appeared to be large beasts. They were planning on what to do when they were blasted to the ground.

"I caught ya, but you cool cats don't have what it takes to fool Riester! Uh huh." The monster said, Leo backed up and nodded. The two other rangers stepped up, level with Leo.

"Go Galactic!" They shouted as they began to morph. Soon the three rangers were battling both sting wingers and monster alike. Then out of nowhere, Kai and Kendrix, morphed into the blue and pink rangers, appeared. Having the advantage, the rangers destroyed the chains holding shut the giant doors, and watched as they swung open.

The rangers gawked at what they saw, five large beasts stood before them making noise.

"You think they're gonna eat us?" Damon asked, still morphed as the green ranger.

Maya looked back at him, elbowing him. "Nothing to worry about, they're on our side."

Meanwhile on Terra Venture Riester and Furio travelled down to the surface and started causing mayhem.

On his way home from the observatory, Ali heard the shouts and explosions, and thought he would investigate. When he came upon the scene he saw the monster known as Riester blasting buildings and objects, surrounding him were Terra Venture's finest.

When Ali heard Riester shout, " no one messes with me," he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

 _Elvis? Are you serious?_ He thought as he watched the monster continue to destroy. He wanted to intervene but knew this job would be up to the Power Rangers.

As if on cue, the rangers appeared on top of a pipe in front on the monster, who promptly tried to blast them down.

"I'm not leaving with a Quasar Saber rangers" Riester said.

The Quasar Sabers are staying with us!" Leo said as he attacked the monster. The battle was pitched and Ali saw that Leo very nearly lost, but used his powers to destroy Riester.

Riester not to be defeated produced a vile of green liquid from his smoking body and drank it.

Ali watched in fascination as the monster grew to be many stories tall. Ali waited in anticipation for what was to come next. He knew that Zordon had mentioned the Galactabeasts arrival, and knew the time was right for their introduction.

Leo tried to attack the gigantic monster, but was beaten back. Riester appeared ready to blast the group away when he was stopped by explosion erupting around him.

"Hey guys look!" Damon told the group.

In the distance, behind a layer of smoke, the five Galactabeasts stood.

The red fire galactabeast started to speak almost.

"Maya, what's he saying?" Leo asked.

"He said that if you combine powers you can beat Riester." Maya told the red ranger.

Hearing that, Leo mounted the beast and began the offensive. It wasn't long before Leo used firepower, destroying the monster once and for all.

Down below, Ali watched with satisfaction, knowing the Power Rangers were here to stay. Receiving a message from his brother telling him to head to their apartment ASAP, Ali began his now leisurely stroll home.


	8. Decoy (Rookie in Red)

**Hello everyone! Since I wanted to do this story on an episode by episode basis, the Magna Defender did not receive any screen time until EP 9. But, because this is a fanfic with the Magna Defender as a main character, I will put him in these intervening chapters. Mainly his journey to Terra Venture etc.**

Chapter 8: Decoy (Rookie in Red)

Azarand and Ali were enjoying a walk in the mountain dome; their days off work were spent with relaxation in mind. As they walked, they talked, mostly about the Galactabeasts and the powers they brought to the rangers.

" Do you think they can handle their new found friends?" Azarand asked Ali, who nodded with confidence.

"I have no doubt they will be able to handle their powers. Just look at how they defeated Riester, clean cut with no collateral." Ali told his brother.

They were walking through a grove of trees when they spotted red off to their right, curiosity getting the better of them, they decided to investigate.

Also in the mountain dome, Leo was training in his morphed state as the red ranger. He was trying to perfect all the moves he knew, and attempting to channel his power for maximum effectiveness. He wanted to be the perfect ranger; to live up to his brother Mike, and Leo was determined not to let his brother down.

After performing a series of moves with his Quasar Saber, Leo's frustration got the better of him.

"Why Mike, why?" Leo spoke aloud, swinging his arms about, he let go of his saber, the weapon flying through the air, landing with a clank in the brown dirt.

He stood in silence for a moment, contemplating his emotions. He whipped his head around at the crunching of gravel beneath feet. Immediately taking a defensive stance, Leo prepared for an attack. It never came, instead a voice greeted him.

"Calm yourself Leo, don't let your frustration get in the way of your skills." Whipping his head around Leo stared at the brothers who'd helped him get on board, Alex and Ali. The pair were dressed in their usual suits, Alex in gray and Ali wearing brown. Alex continued to talk, "the Quasar Saber is your life, treat it as such." He said, walking over and picking the sword up.

Staring at the man holding his saber, Leo noticed Ali walk over and take hold of his weapon. The young man began to walk towards Leo, extending his arm, with saber in hand towards the red ranger. Leo nodded graciously and took his weapon.

"Thanks Ali." Leo said, looking the man in the face.

Ali's eyes sparkled with a smile forming on his face. "You're welcome Leo, but Az does have a point."

"Az?" Leo questioned, slightly cocking his head in curiosity.

"Azarand," the man Leo formerly knew as Alex said, still standing away from both him and Ali.

"Is that your real name, Azarand?" Leo said, receiving a nod of confirmation.

Ali put his right hand on Leo's right shoulder and shook it slightly. "Leo, while we are entrusted to protect you rangers, we have to make sure that you know how to protect yourselves. Your emotions can and will get the better of you in combat, they make you lose focus, which has potential consequences."

Leo nodded. "But I can't get these images of Mike falling out of my head." Leo said plainly, a plea plain in his voice even through the helmet.

Ali nodded. "That happens to me sometimes. The best thing to do is to find a quiet spot, sit down, and clear your mind. Think of a broom sweeping away your thoughts. It will focus and center you." Ali told Leo.

"I will, thanks Ali." Leo said, the man smiled at the ranger in return.

With that Ali and Azarand strode away, leaving Leo alone once again.

A few minutes passed with Leo standing stock still, staring at his Quasar Saber, until another voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Red ranger!" A voice shouted behind Leo.

Turning around Leo was met with a monster he knew well. "Furio!" Leo shouted, commencing a battle with the monster.

* * *

The Magna Defender was back on his destroyed home planet of Taurus. It was here that he found his old friend, Torozord, and it was here that he began his mission to destroy Scorpius.

Standing on the charred ground, looking over the barren wasteland that was once a bustling, and beautiful planet, the Magna Defender let his hatred take control.

Seething under his helmet, he growled in anger, the smirked in delight as he thought of destroying Scorpius.

"Now all I have to do is track that pest down and destroying him once and for all! I will avenge my son, and my planet!" The Magna Defender vowed, his gloved gauntleted fist balling in anger.

He stepped away, walking back towards Torozord, stopping in front of the hulking metal zord.

"The time has finally come to avenge my son, and with it we will destroy Scorpius once and for all." The Magna Defender told the zord.

Torozord lifted his head and roared his agreement.

Together, they would destroy that bug, no matter what the consequences.

* * *

Ali was sitting on the couch in his apartment, in the kitchenette to his left, Azarand was making hard boiled eggs.

"Why do you have to make those? They smell like trash." Ali told his brother, covering his nose in mock revulsion.

"Oh stop it you drama queen." Azarand laughed at his brother.

Ali, ever the man child, stuck his tongue out at the comment.

Azarand continued to laugh at the antics. "I literally ran into Kendrix and Kai yesterday."

Ali's composed himself. "Did you tell them who you were? I'm sure that it would be prudent that they all know who we are, and soon."

Azarand nodded, looking down at the eggs bobbing in the boiling water. "I gave them hints, needless to say, they will find out soon enough."

Ali nodded in approval before turning the other way and switching on the television.

Kendrix Morgan sat in the common area researching the name given to her by the strange man. Beside her Kai watched in anticipation.

"It says here that Zordon was a being that lived 10,000 years ago, and that he lives on in spirit form to this very day, as a beacon of goodness. It was he who founded the original Power Rangers in Angel Grove." Kendrix looked at Kai as she spoke, the man's face tight with concentration.

"So how can that man serve such a being?" Kai asked, leaning forward to look at the data pad in Kendrix's hand.

Kendrix was silent for a moment. Suddenly she snapped her fingers. "Didn't the man give us a room number to go to?"

Kai thought deeply and hard for a moment before he snapped his head. "Level 3 room 411!"

Kendrix smiled and proceeded to stand. "Let's get the other members of the team together, I have a feeling this involves all of us." Kai said, Kendrix nodded in agreement.

They were just about to head out the door to fetch Leo, Maya, and Damon when their morphers sounded an alert.

"What is it Alpha?" Kendrix said.

"Rangers, a monster has stolen weapons from the GSA weapons dome!" Alpha told the rangers.

Kai and Kendrix looked at each other momentarily and nodded. The two rushed out the door, preparing for a fight they knew was coming.

Leo had stocked the weapons that had gone missing. Being a new recruit for the GSA, it was his job to secure the weapons, and well, he forgot to lock the dome.

Vowing to fix this problem himself, Leo ran after the monster, morphing during the run.

"Hey, hand over those weapons!" He yelled at the monster, drawing his Quasar Saber for a fight.

"How about no!" The monster laughed.

Suddenly, flashes of light blinded his vision, when it returned to normal; he was greeted by no less than 10 stingwingers. Leo was outmatched, but he would try.

He soon realized that the numbers would catch up to him, and he found himself being pummeled. He was flipped ungraciously onto his back when he saw that the rest of the rangers finally showed up.

"Leo! Are you alright?" Kendrix asked the red ranger, helping him up in the process.

" I will be, once I get what I came for!" Leo bellowed his anger at an all time high.

Suddenly Kai pushed him back," Leo, let me handle this." Kai turned towards the monster, "hand over those weapons."

" Never! Stingwingers!" The monster shouted. Suddenly stingwingers were swarming towards the rangers.

The rangers got into defensive stances and begun their fight.

Nearby, Ali and Azarand were slowly stalking their way towards the industrial facility. They knew Leo and the others were there, and they knew what was going to happen next. In Azarand's hand were five exact replicas of the Quasar Sabers.

They had known that Scorpius' main goal was to destroy the sabers, as they posed a great threat to him. Ali and Azarand wanted to be sure that if the sabers were to fall into enemy hands, they would not be real.

Coming upon the scene of the fight, Ali and Azarand both hid behind a boiler in the industrial site, shielding them from view. If they were spotted, both knew they would have to fight their way out.

They needed to get to the rangers, but they were not about to get involved in this fight. The rangers needed to handle this on their own.

Suddenly the rangers moved towards the monster.

"Where are you going?" Ali heard Leo shout.

"I'm going to destroy you alone now!" The monster shouted in response.

Beside Ali, Azarand's hand moved to grip his Smith and Wesson Governor.

Ali looked towards his brother, who continued to grip his firearm.

" Ah the Quasar Sabers!" The monster shouted.

Turning his head back to the scene, Ali watched as the rangers, with swords drawn, were suddenly stripped of their weapons by the monster, whose hands slung out from his body like a slingshot, grabbing four of the five sabers.

Azarand blinked in confusion, as Ali rubbed his eyes, thinking his mind may've played tricks on him.

Leo was the only one left holding a saber.

"They belong to me now!" The monster told the rangers. Who promptly blasted them to the ground.

"Except mine!" Leo shouted, his saber in front of his body, ready to defend him and his friends.

"I was saving the best for last!" The monster shouted, suddenly his hands shot out and grasped Leo's saber, but Leo didn't let go, and was pulled further towards the monster.

Ali and Azarand knew that this wasn't a part of the plan, and promptly drew their revolvers, ready to shoot if necessary.

Leo was struggling more and more, until the monster finally had enough, grabbing Leo, the monster began to draw Leo into his jacket.

Ali and Azarand couldn't wait any longer, pointing their revolvers at the monster, the each fired a round, both impacting the monster. Sparks flew everywhere as the crack of their weapons resounded off of the metal framework of the industrial plant. Their actions, however, were in vain. The monster shouted out in pain but continued to pull Leo toward him, in a second Leo was captured by the monster, who promptly teleported away.

Azarand slammed his fist on the ground, shouting," damn!"

Ali was staring at the spot Leo had once been occupying. He was in shock, had he really just let the red ranger meet his doom?

Ali shook his head, the monsters needed the ranger to exert control over the Quasar Sabers, he remembered that the sabers were volatile if not in the hands of a chosen one.

He patted his brother hard on his shoulder. " Az, he's not gone! They need him to help control the sabers!"

Azarand's eyes lit up in recognition. He was about to reply when the green ranger, Damon appeared before them.

"Who are you people? Why are you here? Don't you know this place is dangerous?" Damon reprimanded the two young men.

Kai along with Maya and Kendrix subsequently ran over to the scene.

"You? What are you doing here?" Kai asked, staring at Azarand.

"Who are you?" Kendrix asked, also staring at Azarand.

Azarand looked to Ali, and then back to the four rangers in front of him.

"No time to explain now, we all need to get back to the city." Azarand said, he and Ali hurriedly walking away.

"Wait! We have to get Leo back!" Maya yelled at the two men walking away.

"We will, we just need to give you guys something." Ali said, not bothering to stop walking.

The rangers looked at each other before following the mysterious pair of men in suits.

Back in the common room on Terra Venture, the rangers were silent, contemplating their recent loss.

"It was my fault; I shouldn't have taken hold of the situation." Kai mumbled from his cot.

"It's not your fault Kai." Kendrix told him.

Suddenly the door swung open and in walked Ali and Azarand, the former carrying a batch of Quasar Sabers.

"Our sabers!" Damon shouted, moving towards the men, intent on grabbing them.

Ali immediately moved his hands away from his body. "These are not your sabers."

"If they're not ours, then what are they? And why do you have them?" Kai questioned, his tone had a hint of anger.

"Calm Mr Chen." Azarand said, holding his hand palm out in a gesture meant to restrain. "We are here to make sure you rangers are safe."

"What do you mean?" Maya asked.

"We will tell you more later, but for now we have to focus on the mission." Ali said, still holding the fake sabers.

"What do we do next?" Damon asked the pair of men.

"You will need to take these sabers, and switch them with the real ones." Azarand told the rangers.

"Why do we need to switch the sabers with these fakes?" Kai asked, still angry at what had transpired.

"Because, Furio intends to destroy the real Quasar Sabers." Azarand said, bracing for the reaction from the rangers.

"WHAT!"All four rangers shouted in unison.

"Do not worry, Leo is capable, and will get the real ones back. You guys need to hand him the fake sabers, can you do it?" Ali asked, holding the sabers out in front of him.

Damon walked over and grabbed the sabers from Ali's hands, looking at Maya, Kendrix, and Kai. "Of course we will we're Power Rangers." He said, smiling proudly.

Ali and Azarand nodded. "Then I suggest you guys get back into the fight. Once it is over, you guys know where we are; there we will tell you more."

With that the rangers nodded and hurriedly ran out of the room, prepared to find Leo and their sabers.

Leo was being held by Furio, helplessly watching as the monster that had captured him, who he found out, was named Horn, cast equipment into a pit of plasma, vaporizing them. Leo knew that the Quasar Sabers were next.

However, when Horn grabbed the Quasar Saber, the sword took on a mind of its own. The saber was uncontrollable, blasting and slashing in every direction, one of the slashes hit Leo's bindings, freeing him.

He grabbed the stash of sabers, and bolted from the area, with stingwingers hot on his tail. He hid from detection, eventually finding a way out.

It was there that Leo met up with his teammates.

" Leo!" Kendrix shouted.

" Kendrix, I'm glad I found you guys." Leo said, suddenly he did a double take at what he saw in Damon's hands.

It was another pair of Quasar Sabers, and they looked exactly like the ones he was holding.

"What is going on?" Leo questioned Damon.

Damon didn't respond for a moment, before snapping his fingers. "Oh these! These sabers are replicas; use them as a decoy to get the transdaggers." Damon handed the swords over to Leo, the red ranger handed the real sabers to Kendrix.

"How did you get these? And how do you know about the transdaggers?" Leo asked, looking over his teammates.

"It was those two men in suits." Maya said.

"Ali and Azarand?" Leo questioned, that would explain the replicas and knowledge of the transdaggers.

"Those are their names? So you know them?" Kendrix asked Leo.

Leo nodded his head. "I will explain later, for now we have a plan to keep to!" Leo ran off, back towards Furio and Horns.

"Right!" The four other rangers shouted, as they ran in the opposite direction.

As Leo ran back towards the monsters, Horns confronted him.

"Where do you think you're going?" Horns mocked Leo.

"Away from you!" Leo shouted, trying to play his part well.

"I can't let you do that." Horns laughed and drew his blaster pistol, blasting Leo, causing the sabers to fly through the air and land near the monster.

" I thank you red ranger, now I can destroy these objects!" Horns said, running off, laughing all the way.

Horns ran back to the pit, when he arrived he handed the sabers over to Furio with glee.

"Here they are! Get rid of them, once and for all!" Horns told Furio.

"At last," Furio laughed, "the end of the Quasar Sabers!" Furio took the sabers, and dropped them into the superheated plasma.

"Now," Furio said, "hand over those transdaggers!"

"What!? That wasn't a part of the deal!" Horns said. Before he could protest further, Furio had ripped away his jacket, which held the transdaggers, and forcefully removed them.

Furio was about to drop them into the plasma pit when colored rays of light began to surround him and his minions. Suddenly, he was thrown to the ground in a series of explosions, with the transdaggers no longer in his hands.

Turning around Furio saw that the Power Rangers had returned.

"Nice acrobatics rangers, but you're nothing without your Quasar Sabers." Furio told the rangers.

"Think again Furio, I switched the real sabers with fake ones." Leo said proudly, his gloved hand caressing his saber on his hip. "I tricked you into showing us the location of the transdaggers. Now we have both." Leo held his transdagger in front of himself, displaying it for all to see.

" Oh no no no no!" Horns shouted in rage.

"Let's see what these can do!" Leo shouted as he and the rangers modified their transdaggers for their special abilities.

"Magna talon, trans blaster, cosmic claw, delta dagger, beta bow!" The rangers shouted, then began running towards the monsters.

" What are you waiting for!? Get them!" Furio screamed at his soldiers.

The rangers engaged the rangers in combat.

"Get those daggers back!" Furio ordered Horns then teleported away, Horns was left all alone, the stingwingers having been defeated.

A horn attempted to get the daggers back, but was brought down by the rangers using their new star formation.

His subsequent usage of the growing potion was also unsuccessful, as he was defeated by the Galaxy Megazord.

Back in their apartment in the city, Azarand and Ali knew what was coming next. They were proud of the rangers defeating Horns and thwarting Furio's plans, but they were both hesitant to face the rangers. Although they'd faced Leo, they were not sure how the others would take it.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in." Azarand said, looking at his brother who was standing by the couch in the living room.

The door swung open, revealing Leo, Kai, Kendrix, Maya, and Damon.

"Do you guys want anything? Food or drink?" Azarand asked his new guests.

"No thanks," Leo, and Damon said. The others settled for nodding their heads.

" Okay, I guess we'll cut right to the chase. What do you guys want to know about us?" Ali asked the unmorphed rangers in front of him.

"Who are you?" Maya asked the men.

"How did you obtain those fake sabers?" Damon asked intrigued by the men in front of him.

"Who do you work for?" Kendrix asked next.

"What is your mission?" Kai finally added.

The group looked to Leo, who stared back at him.

"We've already met Leo. We helped him get on board, and he knows some of the answers to your questions. We will, however, provide you with further details. Do you accept?" Azarand told the rangers.

The five rangers nodded in unison.

"We will answer your questions in the order that you presented them that seems best for everyone." Ali said from near the couch.

"My name is Azarand," he said, pointing to himself, then over to his brother, "and this is Ali. We are brothers. "

Seeing the satisfied nodding of the rangers, they continued to answer questions.

"We obtained those fake sabers from a being named Zordon." Ali said, seeing Kendrixs' eyes light up in recognition.

"Wait, I did some research on Zordon, is he really a supernatural being that represents goodness in the galaxy?" Kendrix asked Ali.

Ali nodded in confirmation. "That will answer the next question. We were raised, taught, and trained by a being named Zordon. In many ways, he is a god, in others, he is more human. He is who we answer to, he gives us our objectives, and we carry it out. He can see the future, which is why we know things that will happen to you in advance, although we cannot tell you, lest we forsake the future. I'm sure that you all saw us fire guns earlier?"

Seeing the nods of the rangers once again, Ali continued. "Well we carry firearms, because it is a part of our job. We are what you call Zordonian Clerics, an ancient group of individuals, who like you rangers; have to be deemed worthy to join."

"What are the qualifications to join these Zordonian Clerics?" Damon asked the pair.

Ali and Azarand looked at each other before Ali responded. "An individual must go through extreme hardship but must show courage and or conviction. Never shall the individual display malice or ill intent during these times that try his soul." Ali was virtually retelling what Zordon had told them many countless times.

"What hardships did you go through?" Leo asked the pair who he'd come to know well.

Again , Azarand and Ali looked at each other, this time for a full minute. Silence reigned before Azarand responded.

"Genocide." He said softly, closing his eyes and drawing in a deep sigh.

"Genocide?" Kendrix's voice was shaken.

"What is this term genocide mean?" Maya asked innocently, suddenly all eyes were on her.

Ali was quick to reassure the yellow ranger. "It's okay to ask that Maya, on my planet we didn't have such a term."

"Your planet?" Kai asked, dumbfounded beyond belief.

" Yes, while we look human, we are not from Earth. Our planet is 3,000 light years from Earth; you can see our star in the constellation Pegasus. Now back to Maya's question. Genocide is when a person or persons have intent to wipe out any political, religious, ethnic, or national group from existence."

"What happened on your planet?" Leo asked, his voice low, dreading the answer he was to receive.

"On our planet, our fair skin hair, and eye color deviated from the societal norm. Everyone on our planet was either born with purple eyes, dark skin, and black hair, or not. Those that didn't were labeled mutants." Azarand finally spoke up from his minute's long silence.

"That's awful." Maya said.

Azarand nodded before continuing. "Much like your Adolf Hitler's aryan race, mutants were deemed inferior to the rest of society, and frequent to beatings and dehumanizing language."

Kai's face turned into a grimace, it looked like he was utterly revolted by the idea.

"The worst came when Scorpius invaded our planet." Ali said from across the living room.

"He invaded your planet?" Kendrix asked, her voice rose with her shock.

"Yes, he has taken over many thousands of planets in his many years of existence." A frown formed on Ali's face as he spoke. "The invasion prompted the government to find a scapegoat to blame for their failure to defend their territory. They found it in us mutants."

What happened next?" Damon asked the pair, Ali put his face in hand, unable to say anymore. Azarand began to speak.

"The government determined that the mutants were spies for Scorpius. And like in America, the punishment for spying is death." Azarand's eyes closed as his memories replayed in his head.

"Death!? They began killing your people?" Leo was shocked by the revelation.

Ali nodded, his eyes showed his ever increasing emotions." Much like the Holocaust, we were rounded up and sent to a camp named Milosevich. Here they lined mutants up in a ditch then shot them down. Their bodies would be buried in mass graves." Ali's voice began to break as his emotions overcame him.

Damon stepped forward and put a hand on Ali's shoulder. The young man nodded in thankfulness.

"How many did you murder?" Kendrix asked her voice at a near whisper.

" 250." Azarand said quietly, looking down at his feet.

"250?" Leo said, still seemingly horrified.

"He means 250,000, with three zeros on the end." Ali told Leo.

All of the rangers gasped in shock.

"We are the only two who survived the onslaught. Shortly after the genocide, Scorpius razed all life from our planet. We lost our father and our big brother in the assault." Ali told the rangers solemnly.

"I'm so sorry Ali and Azarand." Kendrix said, soon joined by the other rangers.

Azarand held his hand up, "it is not your faults. You couldn't have done anything to stop it."

Ali sighed, " but there was one positive."

"What was that?" Kai asked.

"It led us to Zordon. It was he who saved us from death. He brought us to Angel Grove, and trained us to be the men we are today." Ali told the rangers standing in front of him.

"How did you get here?" Maya asked, her voice hoarse from horror at what she'd heard earlier.

"We were assigned to come aboard by Zordon himself." Azarand told the group, his voice soft.

"Assigned where?" Kai asked the duo.

"As a cleric, we have a duty to serve the the general good. Az was a counselor, helping people with their illnesses, and I was a professor of astronomy at a college. These positions allowed us to get spots here in the science and medical departments on Terra Venture." Ali saw Kendrix's and Kai's fill with mirth.

"Our mission on Terra Venture, is to protect the populace from Scorpius' attacks, and to protect you rangers." Azarand said.

"Protect us?" Damon said, gesturing to himself.

"Yes, while you seem to be capable in handling stingwingers and monsters, you will encounter forces that you may not be able to fight against. We cannot tell you what those evils are, but you will know when you come across them. But don't worry; we will be there to back you up." Azarand told the group, smiling at them.

" Literally." Ali said.

"So even though you can't tell us much, do you guys promise to protect us? Even though it may seem like we can handle what we got?" Kai asked Ali and Azarand.

" Mr Chen, if we fail to protect you, it will be over our lifeless bodies." Azarand told the blue ranger.

A look of shock went through the rangers.

Ali walked over and socked his brother in the arm. "Forgive him. What he should say is that our greatest priority is keeping you guys from harm. And we are prepared to use lethal force to do so. So yes Kai, it is our duty as cleric's to protect you." Ali told the rangers.

"Now who wants food?" Azarand asked, clapping his hands together and moving towards the kitchen.

Ali looked towards the rangers and smiled; the rangers smiled back, and began to move towards the kitchen.

"It's nice that we have you guys as like guardian angels." Damon said, laughing slightly.

Ali turned his head to look at him. "Damon, we wouldn't want it any other way."


	9. Deception (Lights of Orion)

Chapter 9: Deception (Lights of Orion)

 **Angel Grove, California**

Zordon and his other clerics were deep in discussion in the bowels of the Command Center. A few hours earlier, Zordon had felt something overcome him, and relayed his experience to the clerics that served under him. After many hours of debate and discussion, they came to one final conclusion, the Lights of Orion had returned.

"What do we do?" Rex asked Zordon.

"How will we be able to protect the lights from here on Earth?" Another cleric by the name of Dan Eckie asked Zordon.

Zordon held up his hand to quell the questions. "We here at this table can do nothing to protect the lights. Yes, while they're my creation, I no longer have control over them. We will have to rely on Ali and Azarand on Terra Venture. I sense that the lights are drawn to the rangers, and the two are assigned to protect them."

"Can we really trust two young ones?" Eckie questioned, his tone mocking.

Rex fixed him with a stone cold glare. "They're more than capable of protecting the lights from evil. Mark my words, those two would rather be destroyed than have such gems fall into the hands of Scorpius or, heaven forbid, Kypton."

Zordon nodded, "I have full faith in those two." With that he adjourned the meeting. As the cleric's shuffled out, Zordon went over to his communications portal in order to contact Azarand and Ali.

 **Terra Venture**

Ali and Azarand had just led the rangers to their quarters for the night. As they got on the elevator to take them to their apartment, Azarand turned to Ali.

" Do you think we were right in telling them?" Azarand asked, his eyes searching for answers.

Ali nodded in confidence. "Of course I do. If we're to protect them, they should know a little more about us other than our names. "

Azarand smiled. "I guess you're right Az, I guess you're right."

As the elevator doors opened on their level, both received a beep from their ear buds, indicating that someone wanted to get in contact with them. Knowing they couldn't risk answering out in the open, they briskly walked to their apartment. Once the door closed behind them, they opened the line of communication.

" Hello?" Azarand said, his hand on his ear bud.

"Hello you two." Zordon's voice came across, a smile evident in his tone.

Ali and Azarand smiled.

"Hello Zordon." Azarand said.

"Good evening Zordon." Ali also said.

"I am communicating with you because a very important event has happened." Zordon told the two.

Ali's eyes rose on his forehead. "What event do you mean?"

"The Lights of Orion have returned." Zordon's voice was ominous.

" Really? The lights? They've returned?" Azarand spoke hurriedly, shocked at the news.

"Yes, they are out and about, and we believe they're headed to Terra Venture." Zordon continued, "because of the rangers."

"They're the chosen ones." Ali said.

"Exactly, the lights are influenced by the rangers because they pulled the Quasar Sabers from the stone back on Miranoi. " Zordon told Ali and Azarand.

"What do we need to do?" Ali asked, immediately getting to business.

"The lights will most likely not show themselves in a well travelled place. The mountain dome is the most obvious choice for where they will hide." Zordon said.

"How will we find them if they like to evade anyone and everyone?" Azarand asked, slightly annoyed at the prospect of trying to hunt down something that doesn't want to be found.

"You will find the lights no problem. They will gladly come to you." Zordon told the now shocked and confused pair.

"What? But didn't you just say that the lights are attracted to the rangers because they're the chosen ones? How can we attract the lights?" Azarand asked, getting increasingly frustrated.

Ali put a hand on his shoulders to calm him, which was effective.

"What do you mean Zordon?" Ali asked the being across his communication line calmly.

"It's simple," Zordon told the pair, "you two are in essence an extension of who I am. All of the clerics embody the same qualities that I do. The lights will be attracted to those qualities. Additionally, when one becomes a cleric, I leave a marker on their spirit, if you could call it that. The lights will no doubt recognize that marker and be drawn to it, seeing as I created the Lights of Orion to begin with."

"Whoa, I never realized we had that kind of spiritual influence." Ali told Zordon in amazement.

"You do indeed." Zordon said, laughing in amusement. "The lights will arrive most likely in the mountain dome. I had speculated for some time that the lights would reveal themselves, so when I heard that the space station Terra Venture was being built; I knew that the lights would most likely make their way to the station first before Earth. That was if the Quasar Sabers weren't freed on Miranoi. But because they were, the lights will most surely travel to and stay around Terra Venture. I had a secret chamber built in a mountainside; this chamber will be able to hold the lights. It is completely secure; you need to be chosen in order to gain access to the chamber itself. It will be your duty to not only defend the chamber and the lights inside, but to protect them at all costs. That includes fleeing with the lights if the chamber is compromised."

"Yes sir." The two young men trumpeted.

Zordon snorted. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?"

"Not enough. Later Zordon." Ali laughed.

"I agree, we'll keep you updated on our objective as it evolves." Azarand said.

Both cut their communication and removed their hands from their ear buds.

Azarand turned to Ali, "well this is going to be interesting."

Ali could only smile in return.

 **Many Light Years Away**

The Magna Defender along with Torozord had begun their hunt for Scorpius. The journey so far had proved to be arduous and long. That gave the Magna Defender plenty of time to think about his plans to destroy Scorpius once and for all. He thought about the various ways he would destroy the bug, with his blaster, sword, or even his hands. But, what he really wanted to do was to take Scorpius' daughter, Trakeena, away from him.

 _Then he would know what losing a child feels like._ The Magna Defender thought darkly, a smile forming underneath his helmet.

He knew he was getting closer to the Scorpion Stinger, but he also found out that a space station was also occupying the same area.

Terra Venture it was named.

 _Just more people to get in my way._ Anger swept through him at the thought of foolish people screaming in fear, impeding him from his mission.

 _No matter, if they get in the way, they will be destroyed along with Scorpius. For you Zika, and for Taurus._

 **Terra Venture**

Ali and Azarand virtually ran to the mountain dome, intent on hunting down the Lights of Orion. As they reached the observatory, both felt a tingling sensation run through their fingertips.

"Did you hands just fall asleep?" Azarand asked.

"Yeah," Ali replied, shaking his head in affirmation.

The pair reached the metal door, and after unlocking the numerous locks, entered the observatory.

Upon entering, they were greeting by a blinding light, so much so that they couldn't see in front of them.

"What the hell? Did the sun set in the observatory?" Ali joked dryly, his hands covering his eyes.

Azarand, whose hands were also covering his eyes, replied," it's the Lights of Orion. At least I think."

Suddenly, the bright light pulsed, as if affirming the statement.

"What should we do? I don't want to be blinded permanently." Azarand asked Ali.

Ali thought for a moment before looking around the building. His hands still covering his face, he moved towards his desk. Ducking down, he was no longer in the glare of the lights, reaching under his desk; he pulled out a small wooden crate.

"What if we store the lights in here, and then take them to a safe place" Ali asked Azarand.

Azarand appeared confused. "How do we move them?"

As if the lights contained some measure of intelligence, the orb of glowing protons moved over to the desk and hovered over the small crate.

Both Ali and Azarand were shocked. Ali opened the crate, and the lights settled inside snugly. Shutting the crate, the glare subsided, and the building was back to normal.

It took a good minute for their eyes to readjust to the change in light.

"Wow, I guess Zordon was right. So where do we take them?" Azarand asked his brother.

Ali snapped his head up at a sudden thought. "We should split up. If Scorpius is looking for the lights, that means they're in danger. You should take them back to the city; hide them away in our apartment. I will go and try to find the chamber Zordon created. If I can trick the enemy into going there, it takes the pressure off of us. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Azarand said as he exited the building, on his way back to the city.

Ali walked out from the observatory, and shut the door. Following a path, he was led further into the mountain dome.

After trekking through the rolling hills of the mountain dome, with his suit becoming scuffed and marked with streaks of dirt, Ali came upon a rock face that made him pause.

Embedded in the rock face was a symbol, which looked very much like it could be an entrance to a further system of caves.

 _Or a chamber_

Moving closer, Ali put his hand on the symbol. Nothing happened. After numerous attempts he was just about to give up when he remembered something.

 _My lapel pin_

Reaching down to his lapel, he removed the small pin. Turning it in his fingers, he admired the symbol of Zordon etched onto its metallic surface. This was his identifier; it showed who he was, and who he fought for. Perhaps it would allow him entrance to this chamber.

He gently touched the lapel pin to the symbol in the rock. Suddenly the rock around began to rumble slightly, Ali watched in amazement as the symbol moved out of the way, revealing a deeper passage behind it.

Shaking his head at his dumb luck, Ali reattached the lapel pin to his suit and got down on his hands and knees. Crawling inside, he found that the cave opened up to the point where he could stand up. In the center of the cavern was a steel cage; in it was a small box. It was here that the lights were supposed to go, but in their current state of danger, those plans had been changed.

Ali was content with leaving the box empty and where it was, serving to trick and confuse those who were searching for the lights, with the intent to do evil.

Leaving the cave, the symbol slid closed behind him, sealing the cave once more, the lights nowhere to be found within its depths.

Satisfied with the results, Ali began his trek back to the city.

Maya and Kendrix had morphed and were presently looking for Furio. The rangers had split up to try and find the mobile monster. They had their answer when they were blasted to the ground, and subdued by stingwingers. In a flash of light, Furio and a humanoid looking figure appeared in front of them.

"Who are you?" Kendrix asked the green armored being.

"I am Princess Trakeena." The being replied.

Suddenly Furio and Trakeena, along with the stingwingers were blasted. Maya and Kendrix looked in the direction the blasts came from and saw that Leo, Damon, and Kai rode in on a trio of motorcycles. With the stingwingers incapacitated the two ran over to Leo.

"What are these?" Kendrix asked Leo.

"These are our new astro cycles." Leo told Kendrix, with a prideful slap to the handlebar.

Suddenly Furio had their attention once more. A large red box, casket "like" in appearance was standing upright next to Furio.

"Ah red ranger, I have something that may be of interest to you." Furio told Leo, laughing menacingly.

"What are you up to Furio?" Leo seethed.

Furio opened the box, what was inside shocked everyone, but none more so than Leo. The still body of Mike Corbett lay with his arms crossed in an x over his chest, he was unconscious.

"Mike!?" Leo shouted, advancing toward the box, until his path was blocked by stingwingers. He and the other rangers engaged the minions as Furio and Trakenna transported the casket with Mike inside away from the scene. Eventually Leo was able to break free get to his astro cycle. Revving the engine, he accelerated as fast as he could; going in the direction that Furio had taken moments before.

" Leo!" Damon shouted, seeing the figure of the red ranger retreat in the distance.

Leo had found the box, lying on the ground. Demorphing, he walked towards it cautiously, he quickly opened it, no trace of Mike was inside.

Suddenly he heard noises to his right, turning his head, he saw Mike propped up against a tree, with stingwingers surrounding him.

Leo was about to run towards the group when a hand firmly grasped his forearm, stopping him in his tracks. Turning around, he was met with someone he wasn't expecting to see, Ali. The man wearing his signature black homburg hat and jet black suit.

"Ali?" Leo said flabbergasted.

"Leo, you can't just go barging in there. We need a plan." Ali said quietly, urging Leo to crouch on the ground as he did.

Movement to their right revealed the other rangers, who were also low to the ground.

"Damon you be the decoy." Maya told the unmorphed mechanic.

"Me be the decoy? You be the decoy." Damon said his voice stern.

Maya however, wasn't taking any of it, pushing Damon up and away she forced him into being the decoy. Ali couldn't help but snort softly in amusement.

With Damon gone, Ali turned to Leo and the rest of the team. "Okay, we need to split up. I'll take Leo to get Mike, and you guys need to distract the enemy. Do you think you can do that?" Ali looked over each ranger present.

"Yes," Kai said, "we can." With that he, Maya, and Kendrix followed Damon's path.

Ali and Leo waited until the other rangers had distracted Furio, Trakeena, and the stingwingers before making their move.

As Leo moved towards Mike, he saw Ali move away from him and walk back into the brush, concealing himself.

"Ali, what are you doing?" Leo whispered to the camouflaged individual.

"I will watch you Leo from close by, however, I think it not prudent that I take the chance of me being spotted by Furio. It may mess up some future things." Ali told Leo in an apologetic voice.

" Zordon?" Leo said simply.

" Zordon." Ali replied.

Leo turned his attention back to his brother. "Mike!" He said, shaking the man. Mike suddenly gasped and grabbed his injured shoulder.

Close by, the rangers had morphed and were involved in a pitch battle against stingwingers and Furio.

Seeing the successful distraction, Leo took the opportunity to get Mike away from the danger. Wrapping an arm around his shoulder, Leo helped Mike stand to his feet. The two had just begun to walk off when Furio spotted them.

"Leaving so soon?" Furio asked them in a mocking voice.

Suddenly Kai had attacked the monster, "Leo, get him out of here!" Kai yelled.

Leo didn't wait another moment; he walked away as fast as he could, Mike hanging onto him.

He and Leo hid from the stingwingers that had pursued them. With the danger passed, Leo began his questioning.

"Mike, I thought you were gone forever." Leo told his brother, who he couldn't believe was sitting here in the flesh.

"They can't break us up that easy." Mike told his brother with certainty.

"How'd you get out?" Leo asked his brother another question. Looking over Mike's shoulder, Leo could see a ray of sunlight faintly reflecting off of black fabric, the rest concealed by heavy shrubbery, he knew Ali was watching over them.

"Leo, there's no time for that, we have to get to the Lights of Orion." Mike told Leo with urgency, withdrawing a key from his Terra Venture uniform.

"The Lights of Orion?" Leo asked his brother, staring at the recently removed key. Its diamond handle glistening in the sun.

"One of the most powerful sources of energy in the universe." Mike told his brother, holding the key up eyelevel to Leo. "There's a cave up ahead, the lights have been shut inside for eons. If Scorpius gets his hands on that kind of power, there would be no stopping him. " Mike offered the key to Leo.

Leo took the key from Mike's hand. "Don't worry, he won't get it, let's go." Leo said, rising to his feet. He was about to help his brother up when they were attacked by a small group of stingwingers. Easily defeating them, Leo and Mike continued on their journey to the cave.

Following close behind the pair of brothers, Ali was worried and confused. When Mike had spoke of the Lights of Orion, alarm bells went off in his head. No one, except Zordon, the clerics, Scorpius, and his officers knew about the lights. Certainly Mike wouldn't have knowledge of the Lights of Orion, unless that wasn't Mike at all.

 _But if that's not Mike then who is it?_ Ali wondered as he followed the pair to the cave where he'd been earlier.

He thanked himself immensely for the stunt he and Azarand pulled off earlier involving the real Lights of Orion.

He took a position behind a tree, facing the backs of the two Corbett's in front of him. If anything went south, he would have to intervene.

Leo stood at the mouth of what appeared to be a cave. The entrance blocked by a symbol. Walking towards the symbol, Leo looked towards Mike, who nodded, and proceeded to put his hand on the symbol.

A faint blue glow began to emanate from the symbol, and a shutter went through the rock. Suddenly the symbol was no longer there, a small hole leading deeper into the cave appeared.

Leo could barely contain himself, he ran inside, with Mike hot on his tail. Running further into the cave, Leo found a large cage surrounding what appeared to be a small metal container. With the cage locked with chain link, Leo used his saber to break the barrier. Opening the cage, he knelt down in front of the small box and began to fiddle with the small lock on it. Having no luck, he again picked up his saber, and cut the lock. Opening it up, he found an even smaller box, he knew this had to be the lights. Beyond excited, he got up and exited the enclosure. No sooner had he stepped out that he was slashed from behind. Immense pain flared through his body as his ungraciously fell stomach first onto the cold ground. He turned over onto his side and looked up into the face of his brother, a cold glare greeted him.

"Mike." Leo gasped.

That's right, little brother." Mike sneered at him.

Mike continued to stare down at him, the sounds of rocks crunching beneath rapid feet distracted both of them. Mike didn't have a chance to turn around before two black suited arms wrapped around him and lifted him off the ground. Mike tried elbowing Ali, but he was unsuccessful. He was body slammed to the ground, and a kick was delivered to his abdomen. He crunched inward in pain.

With the imposter Mike dealt with for the time being, Ali moved over to Leo, he was very clearly injured. Crouching over Leo's head so he could keep the imposter Mike in his sights, Ali began looking Leo over for any serious injuries.

" Mike!" Leo groaned in desperation.

Looking up Ali got a glimpse of the imposter fleeing. Standing up, he sprinted to the cave's entrance, intent on giving chase, but there was no sign of the imposter. Sighing in frustration he went back to Leo, who was still lying on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Ali asked Leo.

The red ranger clenched his eyes shut. "No, I was betrayed by my own brother." Deep emotional pain colored Leo's voice.

"That wasn't your brother, it was an imposter." Ali said, giving a reassuring tap on Leo's shoulder.

"How can you be so sure?" Leo asked in a frustrated manner.

"The way he looked at you." Ali said simply.

Leo sighed and attempted to stand; Ali hooked an arm under each of his armpits and hauled him up. "What do you mean Ali?"

"Unless you and your brother hated each other's guts, I've never seen a sibling look at another with such gleeful malice." Ali said and he gently grabbed Leo's left wrist and began leading him out of the cave.

Leo's right hand which held his Quasar Saber curled tighter and tighter around the hilt until it became painful.

Ali, seeing what was going on, put his right hand on Leo's shoulders and shook him slightly. "Don't beat yourself up, I was fooled for awhile there myself."

Hearing the sounds of battle, both men knew they would have to rejoin the fight.

"Leo, you need to go back and rejoin the other rangers." Ali told Leo with urgency.

"What will you do?" Leo asked Ali.

"I will watch over and assist if need be. Now go!" Ali said, giving Leo a push as he ran into the brush.

Leo morphed and ran to join the fight.

With Leo back in the fight, the rangers increased their ferocity against the stingwingers, Furio, and the monster that had impersonated Mike, Mutantrum.

The rangers had left Leo to battle Furio alone as they went after Mutantrum.

Furio with the box in hand was battling Leo, their sabers clashing in a shower of sparks and a crack of metal hitting metal.

"Give up red ranger!" Furio shouted at the weakening Leo. The ranger continuing to deliver blows towards the monster.

Furio hit Leo with a slash which sent the ranger sprawling. "Too bad your brother isn't around to see your defeat!"

Leo, on the ground, grabbed his saber and hauled himself up to his feet." If there is anything my brother taught me, it was to never give up. Quasar Saber firepower!" Leo shouted, powering up his saber.

Delivering the blow, Furio was sent flying and landed with a groan of pain. The box flew in the air and landed near Leo.

"Don't move!" Leo told the monster as he retrieved the box. Furio sent an unsuspecting and crippling attack to his back. The box again flying towards Furio as Leo helplessly looked on.

"I need these powers more than ever." Furio said as he began to open the box.

" No!" Leo yelled.

Furio opened the box, but was greeted with nothing. "What nothing? No! It can't be!" He shouted.

Trakeena appeared in front on him. "No lights?!" She shouted enraged. "My father will not be happy when he learns of your failure." She said menacingly.

"Red ranger you will regret this!" Scorpius said furiously as he and Trakeena teleported away.

The other rangers came to Leo's aid, and Ali walked out from his hiding spot.

" You couldn't bother to help him!? Maya shouted at Ali.

Ali put his hands up in a placating manner. "Maya, it is not my place to help. To do so might have unforeseen consequences in the future." Ali said simply, before he walked over and helped the red ranger to his feet.

They began their journey back to the city. Leo wondered if that was the hardest thing he'd been through in his entire life.

"You still have a great many missions in front of you." Ali said out of the blue, the rangers turning to him in surprise. "Eventually, Az and I will have to get involved."

"What do you mean?" Kai, still morphed, asked the black suited man.

Ali looked over at him before replying. "Forces not under our control will force myself and Azarand to get directly involved in this conflict. Soon, we will no longer be able to keep to the shadows, Scorpius and his monsters will soon come to know who we are. Whether we like it or not, I feel that a third powerful individual will soon be involved in this conflict."

"Who?" Kendrix asked.

"I cannot tell. Hell, I know this isn't possible, but he might be from my long dead planet, goodness knows it needs a hero. Imagine the coincidence." Ali said, chuckling at the humor of the joke.

He didn't realize how right he was.

 **The next chapter will finally add the third player (who we can all guess) into the fight for the lights and beyond. Stay tuned!**


	10. The Warrior in Black (Magna Defender)

**Hey everyone, if you noticed, yes I did skip two episodes in the series. I felt like these episodes really didn't contribute anything to the storyline, and I think Saban mainly used these as filler episodes. So here is chapter 10!**

Chapter 10: The Warrior in Black (The Magna Defender)

Leo was in the mountain dome deep in thought. Ever since he last saw his brother, he'd wanted to find him. That feeling subsided when he finally found Mike, only for his heart to be broken when it was revealed by Ali that he was an imposter, it looked like Mike, but underneath, the evil essence of one of Scorpius' monster's lived. He'd been melancholy ever since then, and he had renewed his search for his brother.

He planned to go to the cave where he and Ali had last seen his brother, or what he thought was his brother. He knew it wasn't Mike, but perhaps it would be a step in the right direction. Continuing down the now familiar path, he headed for the cave.

The Magna Defender was as gleeful as a vengeful father could be. He was nearing the space station known as Terra Venture and would arrive on the surface within an hour or two. He was so close to destroying Scorpius he could almost taste it. He knew that there were civilians on the station, but that didn't bother him, he was here for one reason and one reason only, and if civilians meddled in his affairs then they would suffer the consequences.

 **Angel Grove, California**

Zordon was standing around the central table in the Command Center, Rex by his side. The two had known that the Magna Defender was headed towards Terra Venture, as Scorpius had his hands full with the Power Rangers there.

He knew this day would come, when Ali and Azarand would see what their father had become. He and Rex had spent a great deal of time coming up with certain situations when the polar opposite sides met. Rex feared that the Magna Defender would easily take down two of his best clerics, however, Zordon knew that Ali and Azarand wouldn't let themselves be destroyed, even if by family. Zordon's biggest fear was that the clerics wouldn't be able to contain the rage and fury that had become the essence of the Magna Defender for over three millennia. While the two fought well, they got their style from their father, even if they didn't know it. Because of that, the Magna Defender could very well become their toughest opponent, and if he threatened the rangers, then Ali and Azarand would have no choice but to insert themselves in the middle.

"Zordon," Rex asked him, "what do you think will happen?"

Zordon sighed before slightly nodding his head back and forth. "To tell you the truth Rex, I have no idea. However, I can tell you that they will get into a conflict with each other, that is for sure."

The statement only added to Rex's concern. "Do you think he would destroy them?"

Zordon again nodded his head. "No, I don't. While the hatred he's borne for 3,000 years has consumed him, I believe that there is goodness inside of him. It's deep down, almost suffocated, but it's there. I believe that goodness can be released, the only question is, how do we do that?"

Rex closed his eyes. "I guess we'll have to see how this plays out."

Zordon quietly responded, staring at the wall. "Yes, that is all we can do. And hope that destiny isn't wrong."

 **Terra Venture**

Azarand was walking through the halls of the medical facility when he felt a burning headache come over him. Staggering to a bench he sat down and dropped his head into his hands. He had no idea why this was happening as he had never been prone to migraines before. This didn't feel like any regular headache, it felt like something ominous.

In the mountain dome, Ali was busy looking over the images he'd captured during the long exposure he'd done with the telescope throughout the night. However, since the confrontation in the cave involving Leo and the imposter Mike, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his head. At first Ali thought it could've been something health related so he asked his brother to check him out. Getting the all clear from Azarand, Ali wondered what the pressure in his head could be caused by. He was working through the image of a white dwarf star when he stilled in shock, remembering the last time he felt this type of pressure. It was in that ditch, on the banks of that godforsaken river back on his home planet, when he thought he was about to die. He looked up at the ceiling of the observatory; perhaps the nagging pressure signaled an ominous event. He would just have to wait and see.

Also in the mountain dome was Leo. The young man had morphed in case he ran into any dangers during his journey.

Walking up to the cave, Leo was struck by the memory of Mike.

 _This is where I last saw Mike._ Walking into the cave, Leo took time to look around, remembering it exactly as it was when he was chasing the Lights of Orion.

He was startled out of his musings when he saw the outline of a very familiar monster.

Furio had apparently heard him to, as the monster had turned around at the exact moment Leo had spotted him.

"Red Ranger! Once again you show up uninvited." Furio said, anger coursing through his voice.

Leo withdrew his Quasar Saber and held it protectively in front of his body. "What are you doing here Furio?"

Furio also withdrew his own sword. "I am about to end this rivalry once and for all!"

With that Furio commenced his attack against the red ranger. Both fought to near exhaustion, but Leo got the upper hand. However, Furio wasn't about to back down and be defeated.

Leo stood amazed as Furio began to glow a bright red, and his body began to tense.

"We are both going down together!" Furio bellowed in fury, and then he charged towards Leo.

Leo tried in vain to strike Furio with his saber, but it was to no avail. Furio enveloped him in a bear hug so tight he could barely move. A few seconds later, Leo heard a crack and felt heat, and then his world faded into darkness.

Ali was sitting at his desk when he felt and heard an explosion. Rushing over to the now closed dome of the observatory, he swung open the door and saw a pillar of black smoke rising against the cloudy gray sky. Knowing that explosion didn't just randomly occur in the mountain dome, Ali grabbed his tan colored trench coat and rushed out the door, using the smoke to guide him in the right direction.

As he got closer, his sense of unease increased. He activated his wrist mic and opened a channel to his brother, who was back in the city.

"Yeah?" Azarand said nonchalantly.

"We have a problem, get to the mountain dome, once there, and follow the smoke." Was all Ali said before he ended the chat.

Running the last couple hundred feet, he was shocked when he saw the four morphed rangers standing over a fallen body, horror washed over him when he realized who it was.

"No." He whispered before sprinting towards the group. He'd failed to protect Leo, he'd failed his mission, and he failed himself. The guilt would come later, but for now, he had to focus on tending to Leo.

As he neared the group, Damon spotted him.

" It's Ali!" Damon yelled, the other rangers turning around in unison.

Ali reached the group and instantly dropped beside Leo.

"What happened?" Ali asked them in an authoritative tone.

"We don't know," Kendrix said, "we were searching for him when we came upon this cave. Not a minute passed before this huge explosion roared through the entrance."

Ali took a moment to consider this.

"And then he showed up." Kai said surprise evident in his voice.

"He?" Ali questioned the blue ranger.

"A man, at least I thought it was. He was wearing all black armor, with a cape, and had bull like horns on his helmet." Kai described what he and the others saw. "And then he jumped away and disappeared."

Ali painted himself a mental picture, reminding himself to look into it when this was all sorted out. Ali turned his gaze to the blackened face of Leo, the man's grunt of pain reminding Ali that he needed medical attention.

" Hey!" A voice yelled from behind the group.

The rangers and Ali turned around to see Azarand sprinting towards them, his gray suit fluttering with the speed. He was carrying a basic red medical kit in one hand, and an AED in the other, in case the situation was worse than he thought.

"What happened?" Azarand asked as he reached the group and knelt down beside Azarand.

Ali looked at him for a moment. "He was caught in a blast inside this cave." Ali pointed to the said cave. "And was apparently rescued by some armored warrior."

Azarand stared at Ali for a moment before tending to Leo. "We are goanna have to get him to the med bay stat."

Leo knew he was dreaming when he found himself back in that cave, slumped over that mysterious figure's shoulder. The bull horned helmet and armored chest suddenly faded away, Mike in his GSA uniform was left behind.

Could that mystery man really have been his long lost brother, who he'd been searching for? He didn't know anyone else who would save him from that situation, other than Mike.

Leo knew he had to find out.

His eyes stirred open and he was greeted with a bright light that temporarily blinded him. His eyes slowly returned to normal, taking in the gray dullness of the medical bay's ceiling. He arched his back off of the cot, attempting to stand.

A hand shot out and gripped his shoulder, hard.

"Whoa barbeque, take it easy." He immediately recognized the voice as belonging to Azarand.

Leo turned his eyes towards the red headed man, who had a smile on his face. Looking further, Leo noticed the man was wearing his signature gray suit.

Leo felt the presence of another in the room. Turning his head to his right, Leo found that Ali was sitting in a chair up against the wall. The young man's eyes were fixed on Leo's. Leo again noticed that Ali was wearing a suit; however it was tan, as well as his homburg hat of the same color.

The man smiled slightly when he noticed Leo's eyes upon him.

"Wh…. What are you guys doing here?" Leo croaked, finally finding his voice.

Azarand was the one who responded to his question. "Asking questions."

Leo blinked in confusion.

" How did that explosion happen in that cave Leo?" Azarand asked him the first question, not bothering to wait for Leo to respond to his earlier statement.

Leo frowned for a few seconds before he set his face into one of passiveness. "I was battling Furio when he suddenly began to glow red. He told me he was taking me with him, and then grabbed me into a strong bear hug. Then… I guess he blew up."

Azarand tapped his finger against his chin, contemplating the answer.

"Who was the person who rescued you?" Ali's voice echoed through the small room.

Leo shook his head. "I have no idea. All I remember was coming to for a short period; I looked up and saw his horned helmet, then fell unconscious again."

Ali was silent, and then he and Azarand suddenly stood.

"Thanks for answering our questions Leo." Azarand said as both he and Ali stepped through the door and out of the room.

Leo was left alone once more.

His thoughts of Mike invaded his mind once again. He had to search for clues and he had to find them now.

Standing up from his cot, he removed an electronic sensor from his wrist, the piece of equipment beeped in protest.

The door swung open, revealing Alpha.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Alpha scolded the red ranger.

"He needs me." Was all Leo said, the man determined to find his brother more than ever before.

"But you're not ready yet!" Alpha said, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Alpha I have to go." Leo said in a stern voice, side stepping the robot he headed out the door, as he renewed his search.

Ali and Azarand sat in their apartment, contemplating the answers they received from Leo.

"What would Furio be doing in a cave like that?" Ali asked, both he and Azarand stilled suddenly when they remembered why that cave seemed familiar.

Giving each other a look of foreboding, they rushed over to the wooden chest they'd hid the Lights of Orion in and opened it. Nothing but brown wood greeted them.

"The lights escaped." Azarand said softly.

"I can see that." Ali said, his voice tight with anger. " Zordon did say he had no control over them."

Azarand nodded his head. "I guess that means we have to change plans. We now have to protect the lights from Scorpius as well."

Ali nodded grimly. "That we do."

Both were quiet for a minute before Azarand snapped his fingers. "Wait! Could the lights be the reason Furio was in that cave?"

"It would seem entirely possible. Maybe that unknown figure that rescued Leo was also looking for the lights." Ali told his brother.

"You think he could be a player in this game?" Azarand asked, seeing his brother's nod of confirmation he continued, "do you think we can handle him?"

Ali turned to his brother and smiled. "I most certainly do Az."

Leo had returned to the cave, searching for his brother.

"Could that have really been Mike? I've got to find out." He thought out loud.

As he entered the cave, his helmet adjusted his visor to the darkness. He picked up on the sounds of what appeared to be a hammer.

He turned to his right when he noticed the outline of a figure hammering away at a rock.

"Hey!" Leo shouted.

The creature noticed him and dropped its hammer. It ran towards the mouth of the cave, with Leo hot on its tail. When Leo emerged from the cave, the creature was nowhere to be found.

Walking back into the cave, Leo investigated the area around where the creature was exploring. Seeing an oddly shaped outcrop of rock, Leo withdrew his Quasar Saber, and with a mighty slash, blew the rock face apart.

A well rounded stone appeared underneath. Using his strength, Leo pried the unique stone from the surrounding rock and shook it.

 _I guess this was what he was after, but what is it?_ Leo wondered.

Perhaps Kendrix would know.

Kendrix and Leo were going into their second hour of trying to break open the rock with a laser. They were idly zapping the rock when the door swung open. Azarand walked in, a white lab coat covering his gray suit.

" Hello Azarand." Both Kendrix and Leo said.

Azarand stared at what Leo and Kendrix were doing before responding. "Hello rangers, I see you're trying to open that rock."

"We're struggling; I can't crack it open, not even with this laser." Kendrix stood and moved over to a small box. Placing the rock inside she closed the lid and turned to face the two young men. "I'm taking it to another lab."

"I'm going with you." Azarand said suddenly in a tone that brokered no arguments.

"Why is that?" Kendrix asked the psychologist and friend.

" Because that rock may be a whole lot more than just a rock." Azarand said simply.

"What do you mean?" Leo asked from the table he was sitting at.

"I will explain later, let's get going." Azarand said as he walked to the door. Kendrix followed him; both turned around at the threshold and saw Leo give them two thumbs up. Smiling in amusement, both headed out towards a car.

Kendrix and Azarand were driving towards the science labs; each was calm and relaxed, with the metal box containing the unique rock sat in Azarand's lap.

Suddenly a grotesque looking monster appeared in front of them and blasted their small car. The car careend out of control and crashed into a stack of thick boxes. Kendrix was thrown from the car, while Azarand hit his head on the dashboard. The metal box in his hands broke and the rounded rock was sent flying. Azarand limply rolled from the car, his head throbbing in immense pain.

He strained his head up from the pavement and saw the monster to his right, searching for the rock. To his left he noticed Kendrix was kneeling next to him, the rock in her hands. Azarand struggled to get to his knees, and after a few moments finally did, blood dripping from a cut on his forehead.

However, the monster had also noticed them.

In the brief moment Azarand stared at the monster, who he recognized from the numerous briefs from Rex and Zordon, Azarand was for the first time uncertain. He didn't know he and Kendrix could fight this monster off after their crash.

Then an explosion shielded them from the monster's view, a shower of sparks and a pillar of smoke engulfing their field of view. Azarand faintly heard the monster impact the ground.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Azarand turned to see a black armored figure approaching them; he recognized that this must be the man who saved Leo back in the cave. The individual's all black armor which shone in the sun, his flowing black facing cape, the blaster rifle slung over his shoulder, his bull horned helmet, and the dazzling emerald at the center of his chest. The armored figure stopped when he was parallel to Azarand and Kendrix, he turned his helmet to gaze upon them. Seeing the rock in Kendrix's hand, the figure held his hand out and slowly approached. Kendrix shook he head and slowly stepped back, clearly not wanting to give the rock to this mysterious individual.

Azarand also did not want the rock to leave his side. He quickly stepped in front of Kendrix and reached under his suit jacket to grip his Smith and Wesson Governor, his gaze fixed on the man in black armor.

The mysterious man stopped his advance and his gloved gauntleted hand waivered slightly; he stared long and hard at Azarand's face, as if he thought he recognized the young man. However, the moment quickly passed, and the man resumed his advance, Azarand's stance becoming ever more defensive.

" Keep your hands off them!" A voice yelled, suddenly the other rangers appeared, morphed with sabers drawn, it was clear they were ready for a fight.

Leo attempted a spinning roundhouse kick on the black armored man, which was easily ducked. The man held out his hand towards the red ranger.

"Stop!" A gravelly voice said from behind the bull horned helmet. "Just give me the stone." The voice insisted, the man's hand reaching out towards the rangers.

"You're not getting anything unt…", Leo's reply was cut off when the man pointed his blaster at the rangers.

Seeing the potential consequences of the situation, Azarand drew his firearm, leveled it towards the mysterious black armored figure, and drew the hammer back. The click resounded amongst the group, neither side moved.

Suddenly Azarand heard a shuffling sound and immediately knew what was coming. Taking his aim off the armored figure across from him, he whipped around and pointed his S&W Governor downrange towards Ruptor, the monster that had blown him and Kendrix off the road.

"You're not, but I am!" Ruptor yelled, thrusting his staff in the direction of Azarand, the rangers, and the mysterious figure. A red laser shot out of the end and sped towards the group, impacting the ground at their feet, a huge explosion rocking the area. The rangers and Kendrix were blasted to the ground by the concussion, Azarand and the mysterious man both had the same idea, each put their bodies in a crouching position with their vitals shielded from the blast, and both came out virtually unscathed.

The same could not be said for the rangers, who picked themselves up off the ground. Azarand looked over, and to his horror, he noticed that the rock was no longer in Kendrix's hand.

" Lost it." Was all the burnt and scraped pink ranger could say, picking herself up off the ground.

Looking over towards Ruptor, Azarand also noticed that the rock wasn't in his hand, and the monster was very upset because of it. He growled in displeasure before teleporting away, leaving the rangers, Azarand, and the mysterious man behind.

Azarand however, soon felt a very familiar tug on his mind, and a smile came to his lips. He knew the Lights of Orion were safe because a very certain someone was close by, with a very peculiar rock being carried in his signature homburg hat.

The man in black armor growled as he rose to his feet, throwing his cape behind him.

"I've got to get the Lights of Orion back." The man growled and began to walk away.

Leo chased after him, but Azarand was lost in thought.

 _If the man knows about the lights, he is no doubt after them._ Azarand thought, he saw Leo try to stop the unknown man but to no avail.

Finally Leo managed to tightly grab the man's shoulder plate. "You can't leave from here without telling us why you're here and who you are!" Leo ordered the figure in black.

Azarand noticed that the figure stood completely still, then as fast as a lightning bolt, he struck. The man whirled around and put gauntleted punch right to Leo's gut, the red ranger fell to his knees in pain.

"Leo!" Kai yelled as he, Damon, and Maya all ran towards the scene, all three ready for a fight.

Azarand was also gearing up for a potential confrontation. His hand slid around to the back of his belt and withdrew the knife that was there.

The rangers and the mystery man were engaged in a standoff, the rangers with their sabers pointed at the man in black, with the man in black crouching low with his hand on his sword.

Suddenly, Azarand saw Kendrix come up from behind the group of rangers.

" No wait!" She shouted to all parties involved, and then turned her attention towards the caped figure. "Why do you want the Lights of Orion?"

The man fixed his helmet towards her. "I have my reasons." The man said in a low voice, then turned around and walked away from the rangers.

Azarand didn't stay long enough to speak to any of the rangers; he left immediately in search of his brother.

 **At the Apartment**

Azarand had made his way back the apartment, knowing he would find his brother there. Walking into the apartment, he saw his brother sitting on the small couch, the small brown wooden box resting on the coffee table. Ali had removed his suit jacket, but left his striped white shirt and strawberry red tie on. His twin revolvers sat in their holsters on his waist. His brother appeared deep in thought with his gaze fixed on the dark television screen in front of him.

"Al?" Azarand asked, moving towards his brother.

"They're gone." Ali said, his gaze unmoving.

"Who's gone?" Azarand asked, confused by his brothers question.

"The lights," Ali's eyes finally moved to stare at his brother, "the box was empty when I returned."

"Could they be in the rock you have?" Azarand said, smirking slightly when he saw his brother's eyes widen.

Ali twisted to his left and reached towards his tan homburg hat lying on the couch, lifting it up; the egg shaped rock was revealed.

Azarand gazed at the rock, its smooth gray surface, and rounded contours were something he'd never seen in nature before. "Do you think the lights are in there?" He asked Ali, pointing to the rock.

Ali shook his head. "I don't think so. You remember how we got that feeling when we encountered the lights back at the observatory?" Seeing Azarand nod in confirmation, Ali continued. "Well I don't feel anything with this rock, do you?"

Azarand shook his head. "I don't feel anything remotely like we felt back at the observatory."

Ali was silent for a moment. "Then I believe that this is just a rock, a unique rock, but a rock nonetheless." He told Azarand with the confidence of a scientist.

"I agree with you on that Al." Azarand told his brother. "However, this rock is important."

"How?" Ali said.

Azarand moved towards the couch and sat down next to his brother. "When Kendrix and I encountered one of Scorpius' monsters, by the name of Ruptor, all he seemed to want was this rock." Azarand stared towards the said rock.

"You think they believe this rock contains the lights?" Ali asked Azarand, who swiftly nodded.

"Not only Scorpius, but the rangers, and a mysterious man." Azarand said, vividly remembering the bull horned, black faced cape, and armor wearing warrior.

"Who is this mysterious man?" Ali asked Azarand, who was staring off into space.

"I have no idea. He wore a black suit of armor, had a flowing cape, had bull horns on his helmet, and carried some sort of blaster sword." Azarand told his brother.

"Huh, I guess that means he's looking for the lights as well." Ali said simply, a small chuckle coming from his lips.

Azarand looked at his brother with a look of pure seriousness on his face. "Something odd happened though."

Ali immediately composed himself. "What do you mean?"

Azarand shook his head in exasperation. " I dunno, I felt some sort of familiarity about him, like we share some connection."

Ali's face turned into a look of surprise. "This…. connection. Do you think he knows of it?"

Azarand turned to look at his brother. "He must know. When he was advancing towards Kendrix and I, he finally got a look at my face. He stopped in his tracks and his outstretched hand waivered slightly."

"So, I presume it affects him at least to some extent. Do you know where this connection could've come about? Perhaps from fighting monsters in the past or previous rangers?" Ali tried to offer different explanations to his confused brother.

Azarand shook his head, "No, I don't think it is any of that. This connection feels far more personal, and ancient."

"Ancient?" Ali questioned, clearly confused by the word.

"This connection has been between us for a long time." Azarand told his brother.

Ali nodded in acceptance. "We can focus on this at a later time. Right now we have to give Scorpius a reason to continue to believe the lights are in this rock. By doing so we will divert attention from the hunt for lights, protecting the actual lights, wherever they may be." He told his brother in a stern manner, one that underscored the importance of this matter.

" I agree, how should we go about it?" Azarand asked his brother.

"We give them what they want, what they're looking for. " Ali said, his gaze turning towards the rounded rock sitting on the couch next to him.

"You think they'll take the bait?" Azarand was doubting Scorpius, and the mysterious man would.

"It's our best option at this point." Ali said, grabbing the stone, he put it in the wooden box and closed the lid.

Azarand nodded, he knew his brother was right. They had to plant the stone so it would fall into the hands on Scorpius and his cronies.

The pair went into the city to try and find a suitable place to plant the stone; however, they found that planting the stone would result in potential harm coming to innocent civilians.

They opted for the mountain dome. They found a suitable site to plant the stone, underneath the overpass of the roadway that traversed the dome. They were in and out in a flash, the only sign that they were there was the rounded stone lying in the sandy colored dirt.

The Magna Defender was perched atop a large hill in the mountain dome; he stood facing out over the many hills and valleys. His thoughts were on the boy he'd seen earlier in the day.

There was something about the young man that made him stop in his tracks. It felt as if a rope has bound him and this young man to each other. He felt as though he should know him, but no matter how many times he tried, he could not. It intrigued and engaged the Magna Defender that this boy had a potential yet unknown connection to him.

 _If he knows my past, he could use it to destroy me._ The Magna Defender thought, he couldn't, and he wouldn't let that happen.

 _Connection to me or not, if he stands in my way, he will be taken down._

Also in the mountain dome was a contingent of Scorpius' soldiers. Trakeena, along with Scorpius' general Trecheron, and another monster by the name of Samuron. The group had come across the stone that, unbeknownst to them, had been planted by Azarand and Ali.

Samuron was striking the stone with his large red hammer, attempting to smash it to pieces in order to release the lights inside.

" Harder! Hit it harder!" Trecharon ordered after many failed attempts.

Samuron hit the stone with all of his strength. The impact shattered his hammer in two, but the stone remained unharmed.

"It didn't work!" Trecharon bellowed, extremely displeased at failing to get the Lights of Orion.

"That's impossible!" Samuron shouted, grabbing the stone between his hands and attempting to yank it apart. "For thousands of years nothing has withstood the crash of my hammer, this rock is impenetrable."

Trecharon was silent for a moment, before he balled his fist in front of his body. "We will crack it open, and I have just the plan!" His voice was filled with glee.

Leo and the other rangers were mulling around the men's quarters when their morphers beeped.

"What is it Alpha?" Kendrix asked.

"Rangers, there's trouble in the mountain dome. You're needed!" The robotic voice told them.

"On our way." Leo said as he and the other rangers ran out of the room.

Ali and Azarand were mulling about their apartment, thinking about what had happened over the course of the past day. Their thoughts were interrupted by Zordon's voice echoing through their earpieces.

"Get ready younglings, you two are needed." The spiritual being told the pair.

"Who and where?" Azarand asked briskly.

"The mountain dome, some of Scorpius' monsters are planning on using the rangers for their own evil deeds." Zordon told the two brothers.

That was all they needed to hear, Azarand quickly put on his gray suit and flat cap and grabbed a double barreled shotgun, Ali put on his black suit and homburg hat, and soon both were out the door.

Leo and the rangers were on their jet jammers, heading to the location given to them by Alpha. If Trecharon and the others were here, the rangers would deal with them.

Leo was scanning for the monsters when out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Samuron. Drawing his saber, Leo leapt from the jet jammer and locked weapons with Samuron. The monster shot red plasma from his mouth, causing Leo to be shot away from him. Leo landed and rolled hard, the other rangers converging around the red ranger.

"You don't know who you're messing with!" Kai told the red monster.

"Then why don't you show me what you got?" Samuron evilly laughed in response.

"You asked for it. Quasar Launchers lock on!" Leo said, soon the rangers had their launchers aimed at Samuron who merely chuckled.

"Energy launch!" Leo shouted, instantly the launchers fired colored balls on energy that screamed towards Samuron.

"Crack it open!" Samuron bellowed, putting the rock in front of his body, which then deflected the energy balls back towards the rangers.

The rangers had no time to react, their own energy balls hitting them full force, explosions of sound and fire throwing them to the ground.

Samuron looked down at the rock, fully expecting it to be shattered by the enormous amount of energy it'd just encountered. He was shocked by what he saw. "What!? Nothing!?" The rock was smoking but not even a chip was missing.

"NOOOO!" Trecheron bellowed from behind a thicket of scrub, where he and Trakeena were watching the proceedings.

Suddenly a dagger came out of nowhere and impact Samuron's wrist. Samuron twirled around and was stunned by who he saw slowly walking towards him.

Leo was picking himself up off the ground when he saw the figure walking towards him and the monster. "It's him again." Leo said softly, he couldn't believe it.

The Magna Defender walked with a single goal in mind. As he advanced towards Samuron, he knew the end game would be him getting the Lights of Orion.

He stopped with a few yards separating him and the vile monster.

"Give me the rock now, or be destroyed." He said simply, he wouldn't sugar coat it, it was the bare truth.

"Something that precious will not be handed over so easily!" Samuron told the Magna Defender. "Stingwingers!" He bellowed.

Dozens of the foot soldiers responded to the call, each one running towards the Magna Defender, who had turned to face the advancing horde.

Bending his legs in a defensive position, he withdrew his sword, and crossed his two hands over his chest, a silent vow to never be defeated.

Deciding to take the initiative, the Magna Defender ran towards the group of advancing stingwingers. His first swing of the sword caught one in the chest, sparks flying everywhere. He then blocked a kick aimed at his head, then punched another in the gut. The two stingwingers were then promptly beaten by two successive punches and shoves to the midsection. Using his sword, the Magna Defender slashed two more stingwingers, before blocking another that attempted to spear him with its claw. With the one stingwinger detained, he slashed at another, before using the stingwinger's claw to flip it onto its back.

He knew he could easily defeat the numerous stingwingers in hand to hand combat, but he had an objective to complete. Launching himself into the air, the Magna Defender sheathed his sword then pushed the hilt upwards. In a matter of seconds, he had activated the Magna Blaster. Using his blaster, the Magna Defender dispatched the remaining stingwingers in a cloud of sparks and smoke.

He landed in a kneeling position.

"Well, that was very impressive Magna Defender." He heard Samuron mock from behind.

Turning around, the Magna Defender faced the monster. "It was, now, you know how serious I am."

"Indeed." Samuron again mocked the defender.

"The lights!" Magna Defender demanded, holding out his hand to physically show his demand.

"Never!" Samuron shouted, then turned his spear towards the Magna Defender, and began to run towards the black armored warrior.

The Magna Defender stood fast, Samuron was a worthy opponent, but he would be easily beaten. The Magna Defender again got into a defensive stance, his legs spread evenly apart, and both armored arms outstretched.

"You are brave, but foolish." He told the monster running towards him. The Magna Defender's cape swished between his legs with the wind.

As Samuron brought his spear down towards the Magna Defender, the defender raised his right forearm up to stop the attack. The spear impacted his gauntleted wrist, sparks shot out from the impact, but the Magna Defender did not appear to be phased. Instead he withdrew his sword and slashed at Samuron, sparks flying from the monster. The Magna Defender then jumped into the air and slashed down upon Samuron, a tremendous amount of smoke and sparks coming out of the monster, who staggered back at the attack. The egg shaped rock he held went flying and landed a fair distance away under a pile of brush.

The Magna Defender turned his back on Samuron and sheathed his sword. He performed one of the moves that he'd learned before his life took a dark turn. Crouching, he channeled all of his power towards the monster behind him, smothering the monster with energy. Sparks and smoke shot from Samuron who then fell and impacted the ground in a massive fireball.

One monster down, many to go.

Ali and Azarand watched the entire incident unfold from behind a large tree. Each were mesmerized by the way the black armored warrior fought, it almost mirrored their own fighting style. Perhaps he was connected to them after all, although how they still didn't know. They'd seen where the rock landed, and were about to go retrieve it when they saw a white monster flip through the air from a thicket of brush and land in front of the black figure. They knew it to be Trecheron. For now they would wait, but they would keep an eye on the rock.

 _This should be interesting_. Ali thought as he stared at the two figures who seemed to be measuring each other up.

"Trecheron, we meet again." The Magna Defender growled at the reviled monster, remembering the last encounter with him.

"Your skills are flawless, and your power is magnificent." Trecheron mockingly praised the Magna Defender.

"Too bad you lost the rock." A voice behind Trecheron said. Looking up the Magna Defender was greeted with an unfamiliar figure. "Who are you anyway?" The unknown figure asked him.

Trecheron turned around and answered the question himself. "He is the Magna Defender."

"Magna Defender?" He heard the red power ranger say softly.

Turning back around, Trecheron continued to size him up. "Do you remember the last time we met?" The monster asked, no doubt attempting to distract the defender.

"I remember. 3,000 years ago I'd released the Lights of Orion, you were sent to destroy me, and in my weakened state, you bested me. I fell into a hole in the earth, and was trapped until I found a way to return." The images of their previous encounter flooded his mind; however, he continued to glare at Trecheron. "Now you will pay for what you put me through." He raised his sword over his head and saw his opponent do the same. The Magna Defender spread his legs far apart, getting into a position that would allow for a quick movement in case something unexpected occurred.

Then a blast rang out through the canyon.

Ali and Azarand finally had a name to put to the figure in black, the Magna Defender.

Ali had his eyes fixed on the upcoming fight, so he jumped in surprise when he heard Azarand unload a shotshell from his shotgun. Turning to his right, he saw his brother, with his shotgun aimed at something. The smoke from the shot obscured his view, so he couldn't see what'd happened. Azarand began to move forward and Ali followed him, walking out from behind the large tree and into the open.

As they walked, Ali became aware that not only were all eyes on them, but the stone that'd been lying in the scrub a few yards away was now missing.

 _A monster must've taken it._

His suspicions were soon confirmed when Ruptor stepped in front of the pair. Both Ali and Azarand moved to the right slightly, giving both of them a view of the rangers and the two other combatants.

"Well it looks like you fleshlings are sticking your noses where it doesn't belong." Ruptor mockingly told the two.

Azarand said nothing but reloaded his shotgun, his message clear. Ali gave the monster a smile. "Well, our noses do belong here. It is you who doesn't belong, bug."

That got the reaction Ali was looking for, Ruptor's hands clenched in rage and he bellowed for the stingwingers to attack.

Azarand and Ali took their attention away from the monster and turned it to the now advancing group of stingwingers that numbered about seven. Ali looked at Azarand, who nodded and put his shotgun on the ground, they wouldn't risk using firearms in the direction of the rangers.

Their complete focus was on the stingwingers, so naturally, they didn't hear the shouts from Leo and the other rangers to be careful.

Ali was the first to contact a stingwinger, he thrust his arm outward from his chest, he palm impacting the chest of the enemy, a crack resounding on the canyon walls. The stingwinger flew back from the impact. Then Azarand super kicked one under his cheek, dropping it like a stone, he then managed to grab one by the throat and hoist it up into the air, where he promptly slammed it onto the ground. Ali roundhouse kicked one in the head, and caught another by the claw, flipping it onto its back in much the same manner as the Magna Defender had done earlier. After a few more punches and kicks, there was only one stingwinger left. Azarand backed off and let his brother handle it. Ali bent his knees and lowered his form closer to the ground, a classic fighting stance, and with a motion of the hand, he urged the stingwinger to attack. The stingwinger took him up on his offer and ran towards Ali, who sidestepped the insect then grabbed the stingwinger around its neck and between its stubby legs. Ali then twirled his body around and slammed the stingwinger on the ground hard, using his body weight to pin his opponent, Ali slammed his kneecap into the head of the stingwinger, the insect was instantly knocked out.

Standing up, Ali dusted his black trench coat off, and turned around to face Ruptor. In the background he could see that the rangers, the Magna defender, and the other monsters were all watching the scene unfolding before them. Ali's hand slid through his hair, his hat had come off during the fight with the stingwingers.

"Well, you may've gotten through them, but you won't get through me!" Ruptor yelled, as he advanced slowly towards Azarand and Ali. In one hand, Ruptor held the rock, in the other; he held his staff, the same staff that caused the accident involving Kendrix and Ali.

Ali looked over Ruptor's shoulder and locked gazes with the Magna Defender, the warrior took a slight step back in response. His armored body was tense, his gauntleted hand hovering over his sword.

Seeing the response from the Magna Defender would've caused a flood of questions to come into Ali's mind, but for now he had to focus on the monster coming towards him. Ruptor was a few steps away from the pair when they decided to make their move.

Using their numbers, Azarand and Ali split and ran in opposite directions around Ruptor, the monster confused on which to engage. He didn't have to think long, a spinning kick to his back caused him to stumble forward where he was met with a kick to the face.

After delivering the superkick, Ali gave the monster an uppercut for good measure, which caused him to drop his staff. Seeing an opening Ali picked up the hefty piece of wood and gave an experimental twirl. He'd trained with such objects during his time as youngster back in Angel Grove, but this was for real. Twirling the staff around, he connected with a jab at Ruptor's midsection, then swung the staff at the monsters face. The impact vibrated the staff so much he nearly dropped it.

"Az!" He shouted, his brother popped his head up from behind Ruptor's backside. Ali threw the wooden staff through the air towards his brother who caught it and swung it at the monster's legs. Ruptor fell in an ungrateful heap, and tried to get up.

"Do you have his present?" Ali asked Azarand, the pair walked over and put their foots on Ruptor's chest.

"Get off me you fools!" Ruptor bellowed and struggled to get up, but found he was mysteriously drained of his strength.

Reaching into his suit pocket, Azarand withdrew a hand grenade, and pulled the pin. He set it down on Ruptor's chest before him and his brother briskly walked away.

"Have fun!" Ali yelled as he took cover.

The explosion destroyed Ruptor in a massive fireball, the concussion shaking the canyon walls. The rounded stone flew through the air and was caught by Azarand who held it tightly.

When the smoke cleared, all eyes were still fixed on them. And they enjoyed the attention.

The Magna Defender stared at the two young men before he remembered why he'd come here. Turning back to Trecheron, he resumed his defensive stance.

"Begin!" Trecheron yelled, and suddenly the two were locked in a fierce battle.

Leo looked on in helplessness. In his periphery he could see Ali and Azarand standing by and watching the fight, both doing nothing. But Leo felt like he had to intervene, even if it wasn't his place, he was a ranger.

" Come on!" Leo told his crew.

"Right!" They responded and began to run towards the two individuals locked in battle.

"Stop right there!" Damon shouted, his statement grabbed the Magna Defender's attention and he paid for it. Trecharon delivered an elbow to his unprotected gut, causing the defender to clutch the injured area and grunt in pain. The Magna Defender staggered back from the blow to the rangers.

Kai grabbed his large black shoulder plate. "Wait, let's help." He told the Magna Defender.

The response from the defender was swift and brutal. He swung his sword around in a wild manner, trying to get the rangers away from him. "This is not your battle rangers!" Then he ran towards Trecheron anew and locked swords with him again.

"Don't you remember how badly I beat you before?" Trecheron mocked the Magna Defender to his face, mere inches separating the two.

"That was then, this is now!" The Magna Defender responded, kicking Trecheron away. Soon the pair were back at it, but this time, the fight was increasingly one sided.

The Magna Defender landed blow after blow on Trecheron, the sparks shooting from the monsters body with each blow landed on him. He soon disarmed Trecheron with a flick of his wrist.

The Magna Defender wanted to savior the victory he knew was in store. Stabbing his sword into the ground, he balled his hands into fists.

"We don't need weapons to finish this." He told his nemesis.

"We will see." Trecheron replied.

The Magna Defender waited no further, he attacked without a response.

The two were locked in hand to hand combat when Trecheron got a hold of his katana, leaving the Magna Defender weaponless.

"You are as despicable as I remember Trecheron." He growled, he knew he was at a serious disadvantage.

"Flattery will not buy you time, just as your sword cannot save your life." Trecheron mocked the defender, preparing to attack.

Azarand and Ali saw what was about to go down, and needed a diversion. While they knew the Magna Defender wasn't the best of characters, he fought exceptionally well against Scorpius' monsters, he needed to survive.

"Excuse me!" Azarand yelled towards the group. Ali covered his mouth in an attempt to stifle his laughter.

 _Leave it up to Az to sound like a mother scolding two children._ He thought with mirth _._

" _What about this?_ " Azarand held up the stone.

Trecheron was outraged. "Hand that over now you insolent brat, or suffer the consequences!"

Ali and Azarand saw their distraction working. While the Magna Defender was clearly interested in what they held, he slowly and silently stalked over to his fallen weapon.

"This isn't the lights in case you're wondering. This is just a very cool rock." Azarand told the outraged Trecheron.

"How do you know!?" A new voice, Trakeena, yelled.

"Observe." Looking over to Ali, Azarand nodded his head and received a nod back. He threw the stone into the air and pointed his shotgun at it, to his left, Ali withdrew his .357 magnum. Both fired at the rock simultaneously, both their rounds impacted, and the rock shattered into many fragments.

Silence reigned until Ali broke it. "It appears as though the search continues."

The Magna Defender was filled with anger when the two boys shot the rock, but his anger mounted to new levels when he saw that the rock didn't contain the lights.

Trecheron turned around and was stunned to see the Magna Defender with his weapon in his hand. "Those who live by the sword shall come to their end by the sword." Trecheron said, getting ready to attack one again.

"A lesson you are about to learn." The Magna Defender said, getting into a defensive stance.

"Wait!" A voice yelled, both turned to see the rangers coming towards them.

"We will finish this later!" Trecheron told his rival, then teleported away.

"Yes, we will." The Magna Defender said with conviction.

The rangers arrived on the scene, and the Magna Defender could see that the two young men were now walking towards them.

"Why don't we work together?" The pink ranger asked him.

"I work with no one." He growled, the nerve of these rangers, delving where it is none of their business.

Looking up the Magna Defender saw the faces of the two boys as they stood behind the rangers.

 _Like guardians._

The Magna Defender was hit with the same feeling of connection he'd felt earlier, only this time stronger. These two were connected to him in some way, and he would find out how.

Jumping up in the air, he landing on a mountain, leaving him alone to collect his thoughts and plan his next moves.

Azarand and Ali followed behind the rangers as they left the canyon and headed with the rangers towards their jet jammers. Both felt the strong feeling of déjà vu when they had the close encounter with the Magna Defender. Somewhere in their past their fates intertwined with the Magna Defender's, but neither could figure it out. They needed to delve deeper, and by the stars above, they would.

 **Phew, that was quite a lot to write. Twenty one pages in all. I was planning to split this episode in two parts but I felt like making it a singular part would make it flow better. Writing this chapter was fun because I've had this scene planned out for quite some time so it's nice to finally put it down as words. I apologize for any spelling errors, it's late at night, I will review this chapter in the near future and correct any mistakes made.**

 **LittleP**


	11. The Key (Sunflower Search)

Chapter 11: The Key (Sunflower Search)

Ali had decided to take a late night walk. He needed to clear his head, throughout the day, many jumbled thoughts had lanced through his head. Thoughts of home, of Taurus, and of his family, his older brother his father, and Azarand. Seeing the Magna Defender had awakened these thoughts, something about the man felt eerily similar, but Ali couldn't put his hand on it. He'd felt a connection to the man, much like the way Azarand had also felt a connection to the Magna Defender.

Finding a bench in the now desolate park, Ali sat down and turned his head upwards towards the black night sky. Out there among the stars was his home star, the one that Taurus orbited around. He closed his eyes and began to think back of the many funny times he'd had on that planet, whether it was him and Azarand pranking Zika, or of his father's deep laugh. A small smile crept to his face, and for the first time, Ali experienced an emotion that he hadn't felt in all these years away from home, he was homesick. He removed his homburg hat and placed it beside him, he needed to find a way to uncover who exactly this Magna Defender was.

Sitting on the park bench, Ali began shuffling through his ideas and thoughts.

Unbeknownst to Ali, a few hundred yards away stood a figure as black as the night. The Magna Defender had come to this park for quiet solitude; he too had to gather his own thoughts. The Magna Defender was brooding over the events of the past week. Those two young men who he'd seen fight Ruptor, he felt like he knew them, but he couldn't figure out from where. It angered him that he couldn't think of where he might've known these two. Resignedly, the Magna Defender removed his son's dagger from his belt and held it in his gloved hands. Staring down at the small black worn blade, he was assailed by memories of his son. He remembered the time he gave his son that dagger, Zika was so giddy he practically jumped up and down. However, the fond memory was poisoned by the dark knowledge that his son was dead. Killed by the very monsters he was going to destroy now.

His depressing thoughts turned back to the time his son was killed. He remembered advancing on the monsters with Torozord behind him. He felt confident that he could and would destroy these monsters who'd assaulted his planet. He remembered how that feeling on confidence fell apart when he saw his son in the clutches of Fishface. He remembered the unmistakable clank of his sword dropping to the ground, of him falling to the ground as monster after monster took pot shots at him. He remembered Scorpius blasting him with a wave of energy, and subsequently falling on his stomach. For once in his life he pleaded with Scorpius to let his son go, and he remembered that Scorpius had done so. Then the horror as he noticed his son had drawn his dagger and charged towards Scorpius, he remembered yelling for his son to stop. And finally, he remembered the coldness that enveloped his armored body as he saw his son fall to the ground, lying motionless atop a pile of rubble.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts, his hatred was palpable, rage coursed through his body, and his lust for destruction had reached an all time high.

"Scorpius, I will have my revenge." The Magna Defender vowed, holding up Zika's dagger in front of him, his fist balling around its hilt.

Ali walked into the doorway of his apartment, having returned from his outing at the park. He fully expected, given the time it was, that his brother would be fast asleep. However, he found Azarand fully awake, dressed in his pajama, and sitting on the counter. At the sound of the door opening, he turned to face Ali.

"I see your back." Azarand stated plainly.

"Yes I am Az. May I enquire as to why you are still up?" Ali asked as he walking over to the counter his brother was sitting on.

His brother looked at him with tired eyes. "I can't sleep. I have too much on my mind."

Ali hopped up on the counter next to his brother. "Do you want to talk about these thoughts?"

Azarand silently nodded. "I keep having thoughts of the Magna Defender. He's an enigma to me, someone I can't mentally disassemble. It's like he knows how I think, it's like he knows me." Azarand finished his sentence in a quiet whisper.

Ali softly put his hand on his brother's shoulder, "I feel the same way."

Azarand turned his head to look Ali straight in the eyes. "You do?"

Ali nodded in confirmation." Yes, I feel like we're all connected somehow. Some time ago, our three paths either intertwined or crossed, that is the only explanation I can think of. Do you think the Magna Defender knows of this connection?"

Azarand nodded his head. "Yes, as I've said before, he visibly reacted to seeing me, he very nearly stumbled."

Ali was quiet for a moment, taking in the information. "Then he probably knows we know of a connection to him."

"Indeed." Azarand said tiredly.

"I think it's time for us to hit the sack." Ali said as he slid off the counter and back onto the white linoleum floor. He offered his hand for his brother to take.

Azarand grabbed Ali's hand and slid off the counter. The two brothers walked side by side to their separate rooms. They each had a hand on their doorknobs when a beep interrupted them.

" Awww, why this late?" Azarand playfully whined.

"I'm sure it's important if Zordon is contacting us at this hour." Ali told his brother as he began walking back towards the living room, behind him Azarand followed grudgingly in his footsteps.

They went over towards their brown coffee table and sat down on the couch. Azarand reached under the table and found a small button underneath. Pressing it down, a faint blue light appeared above the table, suddenly Zordon's figure appeared. They used this type of communication if they didn't have their earpieces around.

The blue hologram buzzed faintly before the sound was drowned out by Zordon's voice.

"Hello young ones, I apologize for calling you so late at night." Zordon told the pair.

"That's alright Zordon, we'll fall asleep eventually." Azarand said plainly.

Ali socked him in the shoulder playfully while Zordon gave a small chuckle. "Ah Azarand, your humor is refreshing."

"So what did you call us about Zordon?" Ali asked the faintly blue figure.

"I called because something is about to happen tomorrow. Well two things to be exact. You will meet some of Kypton's associates, and remember to look for the sunflowers." Zordon said cryptically.

Ali and Azarand turned to stare at each other, each confused beyond belief.

"Uh what?" Azarand said, confusion lacing his voice.

Zordon merely chuckled in response. Upon seeing the disapproving looks he was getting he composed himself. "I apologize for that. Kypton has been lurking around for quite some time; I believe that because the lights have shown themselves, the perfect time for her to strike would be now. Scorpius has also been active recently; we have reason to believe it involves sunflowers, make of that as you will. Now, I am going to give you something that will aide in your search for the elusive lights, think of it as a map."  
Ali was surprised to see a blue glow materialize out of thin air and place itself on the coffee table. As the glow faded, it revealed a paper map of sorts, however, unlike regular maps, the sketches constantly changed on their own accord.

"Whoa what is this?" Azarand asked Zordon as he held the piece of parchment in his hand.

"It is a map as you call it. This map will show you clues as to where the lights are. It will not show you the exact location of the lights incase this falls into the wrong hands. However, I expect it not to even come close to falling into anyone else's hands besides yours." Zordon told the two in a tone that brokered no dissent.

"You've got it boss." Ali said in a playful voice.

Zordon smiled at the young man, "Indeed I do Ali. Good night and good luck." Zordon said before cutting the line of communication.

Ali turned to Azarand with his hand on his chin. "He mentioned that Scorpius was after sunflowers, what does that mean?"

Azarand sat quietly in thought before his eyes lit up and he snapped his fingers. "I got it! The sunflower statues near the nature museum. That's the only place around here with noticeable sunflowers."

Ali shook his head in understanding. "Good thinking Az, however, I'm tired so we can think about this tomorrow morning."

With that the pair headed off to bed.

The following morning, Fishface transported down to the surface, he and his stingwingers coming upon the first sunflower statue at the museum.

" Ah, our first little weed." He said, before blasting the statue with his explosive sand bag. The subsequent explosions threw sparks and smoke everywhere, civilians fell to the ground trying to find cover.

"The Lights of Orion will finally be ours, and Scorpius will rule the universe!" Fishface proclaimed proudly, his celebration cut short by a blast hitting him from out of thin air.

"Ah!" The monster cried, dropping his explosive bag to the ground.

The Magna Defender landed on the soft grass in front of Fishface, his sword already drawn with fists clenched.

"Fishface, I believe we have some unfinished business." The Magna Defender growled out.

"Get him!" Fishface told his sting wingers, who attempted but failed to restrain the Magna Defender.

"The only thing unfinished was destroying you." Fishface mocked the Magna Defender.

The Magna Defender growled in response and held his sword up in a threatening manner.

In his quarters, Leo sat with his brother's dog tags in his hands. Ever since the imposter disguised himself as Mike, Leo couldn't stop searching for his brother. With the new warrior, the Magna Defender, joining the hunt for the lights, Leo was all the more confused.

He knew he needed to talk to someone who could try to give him answers, and that meant talking to Azarand or Ali.

He sat in silent thought before his morpher beeping interrupted him.

"Leo, there's trouble at the plaza." Alpha's voice came over the device.

"On my way." Leo said before he ran out the door.

Azarand and Ali were sitting in their apartment when their earpieces alerted them that Fishface was on Terra Venture. Ali rushed to put the map given to him by Zordon in a brown suitcase, while Azarand holstered his S&W Governor. Giving each other nods of readiness, both were out the door within seconds, Ali with a briefcase in hand.

Leo and his fellow rangers had arrived at the museum to see Fishface and the Magna Defender sizing each other up, stingwingers swarmed around the two combatants.

"Oh no, there are civilians over there." Maya, the yellow ranger, told the group.

"We've got to help them." Kai said concernedly.

Leo saw the potential harm that could befall the innocent civilians who were cowering in a small driveway. He needed to help get them to safety, and fast.

"Guys, I've got an idea." Leo said. "Hey Fishface!" Leo yelled, the monster turning around at the sound of his voice. Leo withdrew his saber and lunged towards the monster, locking blades with him.

Behind him, the Magna Defender was defending himself against the group of stingwingers. "Stay out of this rangers!" The black armored warrior ordered the rangers.

Leo had his saber ripped away from him, and not a moment later, Fishface's blade stuck him, sending him to the ground in a shower of sparks. The other rangers joined in the melee and soon each and every one was on the ground after being stuck by Fishface.

"I thank you for joining us rangers, now I can get rid of all of you." Fishface laughed as he mocked the group of worn down Power Rangers.

"We'll see about that." Maya told the monster.

"Quasar Launchers lock on!" Leo yelled, as he and his team brought their launchers to bear. "Energy launch!"

The red hot balls of plasma streaked towards Fishface, it looked as if this monster was done for. However, at the last moment, Fishface blocked every one of the plasma balls and turned his explosive sand bag towards the rangers, and fired.

The rangers went down in a heap.

"Don't mess with the Fish." Fishface said before he turned to face the sunflower statue.

The Magna Defender jumped in front of the statue and leveled his blaster towards the fish, and unloaded a string of bolts. Fishface rolled out of the way, and put his body directly in front of the many scared civilians huddled behind him.

The Magna Defender was not about to let civilians come in the way of destroying the monster that'd held his son hostage. He once again took aim with his blaster, and fired. The bolts impacting the ground, Fishface, and the building above, chunks of concrete began to fall on the innocent bystanders.

The Magna Defender was poised to fire off another blast, when a loud crack interrupted his focus, and he instantly found the white gloved hands of the rangers on his shoulder plates, restraining him.

"Let go of me!" He ordered the rangers, Kai and Damon, who struggled to hold him back.

"He's all yours." Fishface said, before he turned his gaze back towards the sunflower statue. Blasting it with his explosive bag, the statue shattered, but its debris revealed no Lights of Orion.

The Magna Defender finally freed himself from the grasp of the two rangers, and ran towards Fishface, the monster turning around to face him.

"Gotta go!" He mocked the defender before vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

Ali and Azarand had rushed over to the natural museum. When they'd arrived they witnessed the rangers going down after they attempted to intervene. When Ali saw the Magna Defender take his blaster out, he knew things weren't looking good.

He turned to Azarand and looked him straight in the eye. " Az, I need you to go check on those civilians over there." Ali told his brother, pointing towards the many innocents huddled in the small driveway.

Azarand gave a quick nod before he ran towards the civilians, taking extra time to run a wide arc around the rangers, Fishface, and the Magna Defender in an attempt to remain concealed. He snaked his way into the group of civilians and began to assess whether any were harmed by the skirmish.

He noticed a young woman dressed in a blue uniform who was partially hiding behind a car. Azarand could tell she was frightened, her body quaking with shivers. He moved towards her and gently put his hand on her shoulder, the woman jumped at the contact.

"It's okay. Are you alright?" Azarand whispered to the woman.

The woman stared at Azarand for a movement, her wild eyes peering into his blue iris. "Yes, I'm not hurt." The woman finally replied before she turned her gaze back towards Fishface and the Magna Defender.

Azarand too turned his head to look at the scene before him. He saw the rangers on the ground with Fishface standing in front of the statue, to the monster's back, the Magna Defender aimed his blaster. Azarand withdrew his revolver in case things got out of hand. He saw a flash of green and Fishface rolling out of the way, standing directly in front him and the civilians. If he knew anything about the Magna Defender, it was that the man would not be stopped until he got the destruction he craved. Knowing what was coming next he shoved the woman's body to the ground and covered her with his own body. He heard the Magna Defender let loose a string of shots, bangs occurring all around him, and then the sound of debris crashing to the ground next to him. Through it all, he stayed where he was, his body protecting the woman underneath him.

Ali watched from across the street. He saw the rangers go down but didn't rush to help them like he did previously. He knew the rangers had to do this on their own, and he had the map to protect. Looking down at the briefcase held in his right hand, Ali knew he couldn't let the object out of his sights. He turned to stare back up at the scene, and noticed the Magna Defender was taking his shots recklessly, shooting continuously regardless of his surroundings. He saw the black armored warrior shoot Fishface while the monster was standing in front of a crowd of trapped innocent civilians; he knew Azarand was amongst them. He'd seen enough, this situation needed to be contained. He withdrew his Smith and Wession .44 Magnum and aimed it towards the sky. As the Magna Defender was preparing to let loose yet another round of his devastating blasts, Ali cocked the hammer of his revolver back, and pulled the trigger. The huge crack caught everyone, including the Magana Defender, off guard. That was all the distraction needed, within seconds Ali witnessed Damon and Kai restraining the black armored warrior. That was all the time he needed before he sprinted towards the civilians, and his brother. As he passed Leo, he thought he heard the ranger say something.

"Ali?" Leo said quizzically.

But Ali was in too much of a rush to reply, he made a beeline towards the small driveway. His path took him directly towards the Magna Defender, who was standing facing the now destroyed sunflower statue. Not one to give up grudges so easily, perhaps he'd gotten that from his father, he ran full speed towards the black suited warrior. Dropping his head down and turning his right shoulder out, he hockey checked the warrior with all his might. And man did it hurt like hell. His shoulder throbbed from the impact, but he didn't stop, he only turned around to see that the Magna Defender had stumbled one step, if that, from the impact. However, the Magna Defender was now aware of his presence, and judging from the clenched fists and tense body language, the warrior wasn't amused. Ali, per his personality, gave the angry defender a mocking smile before he continued on his journey towards the innocent civilians.

He reached them in seconds, and immediately began looking over the ones he could see. Many were covered in dust, along with small scrapes, but none appeared seriously injured. He wasn't relieved, as he saw no sign of his brother. Running over to a pile of debris, Ali began frantically rummaging through the rubble. He finally came upon a dusty gray suit jacket, the same style his brother wore.

"Az!?" He cried out, his voice cracking with fear.

"I'm here Al." He heard a response from behind him.

Turning around he saw his brother wearing just his gray vest and tie, dust covering his entire body.

Ali didn't say anything and settled for grabbing his brother in a hug. Breaking the hug, Ali turned to see the rangers scolding the Magna Defender for his actions.

"Do you think they'll get through to him?" Azarand asked him as his dusty brother retrieved his gray suit jacket.

"I doubt it, stubborn bull head." Ali said, his brother laughing at the title.

"Well, he shares many of our characteristics, so I wouldn't call him names just yet." His brother said, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked; a smile crept to Ali's face. After ensuring that all the civilians were not seriously injured, Ali began to walk out of the driveway and towards the rangers. Behind him Azarand had found his revolver and was holstering it to his body.

Ali noticed that the Magna Defender was no longer standing near the building; instead the man was walking away from them, towards a large field and a forest. As Ali watched the Magna Defender's figure retreat in the distance, he saw a bright comet like streak overhead. He watched as the ball of flame plunged into the forest, an explosion resounding through Terra Venture. Beside him, Azarand stared in the same direction.

"What the hell was that?" Azarand asked in confusion.

Ali didn't take his eyes off of the distant form of the Magna Defender as the warrior walked in the direction of the large explosion. " I dunno, but whatever it is, the Magna Defender wants it."

"You thinking about going hiking tonight?" Azarand asked him.

Ali turned to look at his brother. "I would enjoy that very much."

The rangers soon joined them and demorphed. Together as a group they returned back to their quarters.

The Magna Defender had found his old friend, with Torozord by his side, there would be no stopping him. As he stood looking up at the hulking metal beast, he couldn't help but think. He'd encountered the same boy he saw in the canyon. If he remembered correctly, there were two of them. Over the past number of days he had pondered the connection he felt towards the two younglings, but he had no success in finding the answer.

Now, after what happened today, the Magna Defender would not let those boys off so easy. The brown haired one had taken it upon himself to make physical contact with him, and he would not allow such to happen. The last time a being touched him, that being was destroyed. He very nearly leveled his blaster to the young man but something stopped him in his tracks. Perhaps it was the look in his eyes, the unspoken frustration and anger. So, the boy was mad at him for potentially harming civilians. He would have to get over it, nothing stood in his way. But there was also something else that made him freeze and gawk through his helmet; it was the boy's face. Something about it seemed eerily familiar, not just familiar, but extremely familiar, it reminded him of Zika.

He quashed his thoughts then and there. While the two boys may've caught his attention, his mission to destroy Scorpius came first and foremost. He would deal with those two meddling kids at a later time. He knew that Fishface had transported back down to the surface again, and he would meet the vile creature head on.

The Magna Defender began his trek back towards the city, and back towards his goal.

In their quarters, the rangers along with Azarand and Ali discussed the day's events.

"He just didn't care about those people." Kendrix said, pacing around the room.

"Talk about being Mr. Macho." Damon added to the conversation.

"I think he has a mission, which he intends to carry it out." Kai said, all eyes turning on him, except for Leo, who was still staring outside the viewing window towards the blackness of interstellar space.

"What makes you say that Ka?" Azarand asked the blue ranger.

"The way he fights, it's not elegant like he's trying to strike a precision blow. The moves he does serve a single purpose." Kai said, his voice growing quieter.

"To destroy his enemies." Ali added onto Kai's sentence, the blue ranger nodded in confirmation.

" You're quiet Leo, what are your thoughts on this?" Maya asked the man who was still staring out into space.

" I think he has a personal vendetta." Leo said without turning around.

"A vendetta so deep and his anger so great, it consumes him." Azarand added on.

Ali turned to look at his brother. "To the point of not caring for anyone or anything but the end game?"

Azarand looked at Ali and silently nodded.

Suddenly the ranger's morphers beeped, and Alpha's voice came over the devices. "Rangers there's trouble in the plaza!"

"Duty calls!" Kai said as everyone exited the room.

The rangers descended on a public plaza that was already in chaos. All around them people screamed in terror and ran in any direction they could. Through the mass of bodies, the rangers could make out Fishface and his band of stingwingers advancing towards the plaza. Like the nature museum earlier that morning, this plaza was littered with sunflower statues.

The rangers immediately drew their sabers and stood in a line between the monster and the fleeing civilians.

"Fishface!" Leo shouted, the monster not wasting time for a reply, he and his minions charged towards the rangers, who met them head on.

Ali and Azarand were only a short distance away from the fighting, but they were not focused on the action occurring in the plaza. While they ran with the rangers, they'd felt something, something they couldn't explain, something they'd never felt before.

Splitting from the rangers, the pair was now walking down a small brick path that eventually led to a fountain and public gardens. As they walked, both felt like they were nearing something or someone. Then, coming around the bend in the path was a man, who was dressed in a dark green suit with a light brown shirt underneath. All three individuals stopped in their tracks and stared at each other.

Ali looked at the man's frame, slim like them, yet his skins had a sickly tone of color to it. Looking at the man's suit, an odd lapel pin shone from the dark green cloth.

Ali thought he recognized that symbol from someplace, thinking further his eyes widened in recognition. The one word that blared through his head was ominous. Kypton. Looking further, Ali quickly found a bulge on the man's right hip, a firearm no doubt.

Suddenly the man bolted, and Ali and Azarand were left there gawking at what had happened before their brains kicked in.

Without a word, Azarand turned to the right and ran up the hill towards the other side, while Ali, with briefcase in hand, ran down the path as fast as he could. If this was indeed one of Kypton's agents, then there was indeed a lot at stake, they needed to catch up to this man. Everything depended on it.

Azarand was descending the other side of the hill when he caught side of the agent, who was running perpendicular to him. Using his remaining energy, Azarand picked up speed as he attempted to intercept the man, just when he thought he was close enough to drop the man with a roundhouse kick, the man threw a rock at his face. It wasn't large enough to hurt, but enough of a distraction for the man to get away from his clutches.

Cursing in frustration, Azarand again gave chase, coming up behind him was Ali, amazingly, his homburg hat still atop his head, despite the brisk run. The pair chased the agent for what was perhaps a mile, up ahead; the brick path ended and a large fountain loomed in their view. As the man passed the fountain he looked back at the brothers with a dangerous look in his eyes. As Ali and Azarand came to the fountain, the man, now nearing a tree line, turned around and reached into his dark green suit, the man drew a semi automatic pistol and fired at the pair.

Ali and Azarand both took cover behind the fountain, which was being chipped by the incoming pistol rounds. Both brothers drew their revolvers and returned fire, the bangs and cracks echoing around the once peaceful park. After less than five seconds of gunfire, the green suited agent ran into the trees and disappeared. Ali and Azarand attempted to give chase, but found themselves alone once again, whoever that man was, he was now gone.

Azarand and Ali both reloaded and re holstered their firearms securely underneath their suit jackets. While the little chase had proved to be a short detour they both knew they had to get back to the rangers.

The rangers were locked in combat with the stingwingers and Fishface. Leo was battling said monster, and scored a number of hits on him.

" Get out of here!" He yelled at the disgusting monster.

Fishface merely laughed at him and began to run towards a sunflower statue, his intention to destroy it.

Fishface was nearing the statue when he was blasted multiple times, stopping him in his tracks. Turning to face the direction the blasts originated from, Fishface saw the Magna Defender walking towards him, the warrior's blaster drawn and ready for battle.

"You just don't get it do you Magna Defender, when are you gonna stop?" Fishface complained mockingly.

The Magna Defender's response brokered no reply. "When I finished what I started."

Fishface drew his sword, "Then let's end it now, once and for all!" The monster said, charging towards the Magna Defender.

The Magna Defender stood stoically still as Fishface charged towards him, and remained standing still even as the monster brought his sword down towards the black armored warrior. At the very last moment, the Magna Defender brought his wrist up and intercepted the blow, sparks flew in all directions. With Fishfaces blow blocked, Magna Defender used his remaining hand to draw his own sword as he slashed multiple times at Fishface, the monster falling to the ground. The Magna Defender then jumped up into the air and brought his sword down onto Fishface in a viscous attack that sent the monster flying.

Magna Defender advanced on the monster, who was still sprawled out on the brick plaza, with every intention to destroy him.

Fishface looked over and saw a girl picking up a teddy bear she'd dropped. Taking the advantage, he moved as fast a lightening towards her, and grabbed her in an unyielding grip. The young girl screamed in terror.

The Magna Defender stopped his advance, and took in the sight before him.

"All of you, drop your weapons, or else!" Fishface ordered his foes, laughing all the while.

To his right, the rangers looked at their weapons before Leo reluctantly dropped his saber, the others following suit. They did not want harm coming to this innocent little girl.

However, the Magna Defender did no such thing; his sword remained firmly in his grasp.

"I said, drop it!" Fishface ordered the still armed defender.

"Zika." The Magna Defender said quietly, the scene before him harkening back to one where the hostage wasn't this little girl, but his own son. He was lost in his memories.

Behind a well manicured bush, out of sight from the rangers, Fishface, and the Magna Defender, Azarand and Ali sat still and maintained their steady breathing. They were not doing this to hide themselves from the others, they were doing it because each had their revolvers drawn and aimed squarely at Fishface's large head. They would not hesitate to discharge their weapons, and use lethal force if it meant saving this girl's life. They were clerics; it was in their job description.

However, at this moment, each was very uneasy. Both had heard the whispered word that the Magna Defender had said moments earlier, and it had shaken them to the core. While they were very young the last time they saw their father and brother, the pair would never forget their looks or their names. Xanos and Zika, it was a mantra Ali and Azarand had said many times before, when they spoke of home, or when they attempted to explain their unique personalities. The fact that the Magna Defender had spoken their older brother's name in such a manner had shocked them. They never expected anyone else, except them and Zordon, to even know the names of their immediate family members.

Ali's grip on his .357 magnum lessened as he took in the new information. His curiosity and anxiety spiked at that moment, Azarand's hand on his shoulder brought him back into focus, and he needed to focus, this little girl's life depended on it.

Coming back to reality, the Magna Defender's anger peaked at the utter similarities this hostage situation shared with Zika's. He wouldn't, he couldn't give up now, no matter what the risk, this was for his son, he needed to destroy this vile creature that killed his son. "You showed no mercy for my son, now I show no mercy for you!" He ground out in utter rage as he tightened his grip on his sword and began to advance towards Fishface and the young girl. He heard the pleas of those pesky rangers to his left but disregarded them; the rangers were too idealistic for their own good. He continued his advance, preparing to destroy Fishface once and for all.

He was intercepted by the red ranger, who'd caused him trouble previously in the day. The man blocked his advance and planted his hands on his shoulder plates.

"Step aside ranger!" The Magna Defender yelled, trying the shove the ranger aside. But Leo wouldn't budge; even when he was blasted from behind by Fishface, the red ranger maintained his grip on the Magna Defender.

"I don't know why you want to destroy him, but you've got to control your anger." Leo said in a pleading tone.

"You two are pathetic." Fishface laughed as he blasted both the Magna Defender and Leo, sending both to the ground.

Ali was shaking now, and he was pretty sure that Azarand was as well. The Magna Defender had called Zika his son. It was not possible, it was simply impossible for this to be happening. This had to be some other Zika, there were probably many thousands of Zika's around the galaxy. Both men tried to rationalize their thoughts in their subconscious. Coming up with alternative theories about why the Magna Defender had just uttered the name of their older brother, and then named him as his son. However, as much as they tried to explain the incident away, they couldn't. Ali and Azarand had no idea what to think, their minds were a mess of jumbled thoughts and emotions. However, both also realized that lives were depending on them and they tried with all their might to compose themselves. They both saw the Magna Defender and Leo get blasted and realized they had to act. Stepping out from the bushes, they prepared for a confrontation.

Damon had freed the little girl from Fishface's grasp by distracting then blasting the monster. He along with the other rangers was subsequently blasted by Fishface himself. With everyone incapacitated, Fishface was able to run up to the remaining sunflower statue and blow it up. The lights, however, did not appear.

Turning his attention back towards his fallen enemies, Fishface saw that the Magna Defender was on his feet, staggering towards him, the man's armor was smoking and it appeared he was in obvious pain, but Fishface didn't let that stop him.

"And now to finish off the great Magna Defender." Fishface told the wounded warrior.

Magna Defender held out his hand weakly, his armor still smoking. "Enough games Fishface."

Fishface could only laugh at the pathetic display of strength. "I couldn't agree more." He said, drawing his sword as he ran to the Magna Defender and slashed at him. Sparks erupted from the strikes that impacted the Magna Defender's armor, the warrior dropped to the ground, the blows weakening him further. Fishface took a couple of steps back and waited for the Magna Defender to pick himself up once more, this time he would strike the final blow.

The weaponless defender, his armor smoking, stood on shaky footing and faced down Fishface once more. Fishface had just begun to advance towards his weakened opponent when his path was blocked.

Ali stepped out and calmly walked to the one sided battle. He remained at an angle where neither Fishface nor the Magna Defender would spot him. Once he was certain the Magna Defender was indeed in danger he made his move. When Fishface moved away to size up his weakened opponent, Ali began to walk towards them. When the Magna Defender finally stood, it was obvious that Fishface intended to destroy his opponent. Ali stepped in between the two opponents, and planted his right hand firmly on the Magna Defender's smoking chest armor, stopping him in his tracks. With his left hand he leveled his .357 directly at Fishface and cocked the hammer back, daring the monster to make a move.

Both Fishface and the Magna Defender stood there in silence, no doubt taking in the new addition to their confrontation.

"Do you feel lucky?" Ali asked Fishface, taking a scene from his favorite movie.

"Always, and with luck on my side, I will destroy everyone here, including you! Haha." Fishface mocked Ali.

Ali gave a small smile, and then pulled the trigger. He fired into the monster six times, sparks erupting from the monster, and six distinct cracks echoing around the plaza. Fishface fell to his knees, incapacitated for the moment. To add insult to injury, Azarand, who was positioned behind Fishface, decided to throw a small blade into the back of Scorpius' henchman.

With the immediate threat subdued, Ali turned around to face the Magna Defender. He found the warrior staring into his eyes. Ali stared back but didn't offer any response; instead he walked over towards Leo and helped the ranger to his feet. He grabbed the Magna Defender's fallen sword and carried it back over to the warrior in black. He silently offered the weapon back to its owner who silently accepted it. Nodding in agreement, Ali moved past the fallen Fishface to his brother in the bushes. There he retrieved his brown suitcase and waited.

Suddenly Fishface was on his feet and had drunken the growth liquid. Within seconds he towered many stories above the ground. Both the rangers and the Magna Defender looked up at the new and imposing threat.

Leo and the other rangers had summoned their Galactabeasts, and unsuccessfully attempted to defeat Fishface. Their megazord was badly damaged and each ranger ejected from their zords. Fishface laughed at their expense.

Suddenly a rumble filled the air and the ground began to shake.

From their position on the plaza, Ali and Azarand could clearly feel the shaking of the earth beneath their feet. They both knew that Terra Venture didn't have plate tectonics, so earthquakes didn't happen. This was something special, something unique, and something very very big.

Off in the distance, both saw a hulking figure materialize through the cloud of dust.

"Torozord charge!" The Magna Defender bellowed from the ground.

Through the smoke and dust, a bull like zord appeared.

The zord stopped in its tracks as the rangers, Fishface, and the pair of brothers looked on in stunned amazement.

"Excellent." The Magna Defender said, pleased at this turn of events. "Magna Defender, transform!"

Suddenly rays of light shot out from the eyes of the bull zord and the Magna Defender began to grow until he too was many stories tall.

"He's amazing." Was all Leo could say as he and his fellow rangers witnessed the Magna Defender grow.

The Magna Defender jumped onto Torozord's back and ordered the zord to advance towards Fisface.

"Bring it on!" Fishface said as he began walking towards Torozord. The two enemies clashed with Fishface grabbing Torozord's horns and attempting to push the megazord back. After a back and forth struggle, Fishface struck Torozord's horns, causing the zord to back away.

The Magna Defender, not one to retreat, produced two large golden blades and dismounted from Torozord. He stuck Fishface twice with his blades, sparks erupting everywhere. Fishface took a step back then aimed his own sword at the grown Magna Defender. Instead of slashing at the defender, Fishface shot a bolt of energy out of the blade which sped towards the defender, who blocked his first shot. On the second shot however, the Magna Defender was not quite so lucky. The bolt hit him square in the chest and sent him sprawling into a cluster of trees.

Fishface began to run towards the fallen Magna Defender, hoping to destroy this nescience once and for all.

Down below, Ali and Azarand watched the battle between the two grown figures. Azarand was watching but his thoughts were elsewhere. He played Magna Defender's words over and over again in his head, how he said Zika was his son. It confused Azarand beyond belief; he needed to find out just what the hell was going on.

Beside him Ali was also lost in thought. The possibility that the Magna Defender was related to him by blood was chilling to say the least. While he wouldn't go as far as to accept that his father, Xanos, had become the Magna Defender, he would at least acknowledge it as a possibility. But, if true, that would mean that his father had turned from a loving, caring, and gentle being, into one filled with anger and hatred. The thought made him physically shiver. He and his brother would be having a long chat with Zordon tonight, he was sure of it.

The ground shaking made them return to reality. The two both saw the Magna Defender on the ground with Fishface running towards the fallen body. During the time they were in their thoughts, the Magna Defender must've taken a serious blow. Ali glanced at his brother to convey the silent message, and then he withdrew both of his revolvers from underneath his suit jacket. Beside him, Azarand withdrew his Smith and Wesson Governor and aimed it at Fishface. Out of the corner of his eye, Ali could also see Leo and Kendrix aiming their Transdaggers at the monster. All four fired at the same time, Leo and Kendrix shooting their red and pink colored plasma bolts towards Fishface, with Ali and Azarand throwing heavy lead towards the monster. All shots impacted Fishface, sparks and smoke pouring from the monster, who stopped his advance and turned towards the four who had blasted him.

The roar of their firearms discharging caused a loud ringing to reverberate in their heads. It was so loud and so distracting that Ali and Azarand almost ended up getting crushed when Fishface brought his huge sword down towards them and the rangers. However, Fishface's sword was stopped just above their heads by the Magna Defender. The warrior had risen from the ground unnoticed, and had managed to block Fishface's strike, saving both the rangers and the two clerics from certain death.

The Magna Defender lay sprawled on the ground, weak from the large blast he'd just taken. He saw Fishface advancing towards him, but found that he was too weak to move at that moment. He steeled himself for the destructive blows that would impact him, while he knew he would survive; he didn't know how badly he would be damaged.

Suddenly Fishface was stopped dead in his tracks. The vile monster sparks and smoking. Someone had stopped Fishface from attacking him, and judging from the pink and red colored bolts as well as the loud cracks of sound, he knew who those people were.

The red and pink rangers sought to save him from this monster? Even after he'd very nearly harmed civilians? Fools, whose attitude and emotions would get them destroyed.

The other two individuals presented a greater enigma to him. Those loud sounds he'd heard before, from those blaster type objects carried by those two young boys. The same younglings he felt that strange connection to. Why did they save him? Was it because they realized the magnitude of their connection? He would need to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding those two, but for now he had to take advantage of their distraction.

He would never admit it, but for the first time in many thousands of years, an alien feeling of gratitude permeated his being.

It was quickly squashed as the Magna Defender rose to his feet. He noticed that Fishface was getting ready to crush his puny opponents with his large sword. While the Magna Defender wouldn't normally care, the fact that those two boys were now in imminent danger made him feel uneasy. He felt a need; a primal need well up within him, a need to protect those two younglings from harm. He could be angry with himself later for giving into such emotions, but right now he had to act.

He blocked Fishface's sword and stuck the monster again and again. His old friend, Torozord, advanced upon the monster and using his horns, flipped Fishface over his hulking metal body.

Now was an opportune time to finish this battle once and for all.

"Defender Torozord, activate!" The Magna Defender shouted. Torozord transformed into the Defender Torozord, and Magna Defender took his position inside of the zord.

With a spinning slash, the zord defeated Fishface, closing a chapter that'd been left open for over 3,000 years.

Ali and Azarand had witnessed the end of the battle. Soon afterwards, they saw the Magna Defender shrink down to regular size, and Torozord transported away. The pair had begun to walk back to the plaza where the confrontation had occurred earlier that afternoon. As they walked, they noticed that the rangers had demorphed and were walking towards the plaza as well.

When they reached the plaza, Azarand and Ali both noticed that the Magna Defender was also walking towards them.

"It seems as though we are the center of attention."Azarand said as he walked down a set of stairs, Ali remaining on top, the brown briefcase still in his hand.

"Oh boy, we'll see how this goes." Ali said as he watched the rangers and the Magna Defender converge on their position. Each party stayed a fair distance apart and for a minute or two stood in silence, staring each other down.

Leo was the first to speak. "I don't know who you are or what your problem is, but you've got to get a grip on your anger."

Ali put his head in his hands, things were about to pick up.

The Magna Defender was quick to reply. "You have no idea what you're talking about!" The warrior growled, range obvious in his voice. "A long time ago, Scorpius took my son from me." The voice took on an anguished tone before it became tight with anger. "I will not stop until I destroy him."

"I know how you fe.." Leo was just beginning to reply when his sentence was cut off abruptly.

Ali looked towards Leo, seeing that the ranger was staring at something, and it wasn't the Magna Defender. The black caped warrior stood stock still; he also appeared to be looking at something.

Ali turned his head to the left and saw what had grabbed everyone's attention.

A group of five individuals, wearing dark green suits with lapel pins that screamed Kypton, were walking into the plaza. Each had a smug look on their face, and eyed Ali and Azarand like they were prey.

Standing below his brother, Azarand noticed that the Magna Defender's hand inched towards his sheathed saber.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Stay your hand warrior. We're not here for you." A burly and bald man said. His green suit hugged his round body, which also revealed the tell tale bulge of a pistol on his right hip. The bald man fixed his gaze straight at Azarand, who glared back at him from under his gray flat cap. "We want those two." He pointed to both Azarand and Ali.

"What do you want porky?" Ali asked them man, not bothering being civil about it. If these men, agents of Kypton, wanted a fight, they were going to get one.

The man frowned in anger. "We want the contents of the briefcase. Now hand it over." The man said his voice low with anger.

Suddenly, four of the agents split up and took separate paths towards Azarand and Ali. They circled around the rangers and the Magna Defender who watched them extremely closely.

Ali noticed that he had an agent coming up the stairs to his front and another to his right. Azarand had much the same setup, as well as having the bald agent coming at him from his backside. Ali looked towards the rangers and saw that all of them wore expressions of fear or of uncertainty. Looking over to the Magna Defender, Ali saw that the warrior now had his left hand on his sword, he looked as though he was prepared to use it if the two brothers needed help.

The notion left a warm feeling in his heart.

That feeling was quickly lost as an agent stepped up the stairs towards him. The man appeared about as young as he was, however his skin was a sickly pale color and his eyes red rimmed. The agent smiled menacingly at him.

"Hand it over and we may make this easy on you." He said in a lightly amused tone.

Ali stared silently at the agent, who took the non answer as an open invitation. Ali held the briefcase in front of his body with both hands on its brown leather surface. The agent advanced until he was a step away, and then stopped.

Ali registered the agents standing in front of him and also behind him. Looking over the agent in front of him, he saw Azarand surrounded on three sides. There was no way this could not result in a fight.

Suddenly the cocky young agent to his front reached for the suitcase he was holding. Ali knew it was now or never and took action. He thrust the suitcase up into the face of the agent, the suitcase's corners impacting the man's cheeks and nose. The man howled in pain. Ali spun his entire body around and swung the suitcase at the head of the agent standing behind him, dropping him like a stone. He returned to the agent who stood in front of him, the agent was bloodied but in a defensive pose. Ali wasted no time in blocking his punch and grabbed the back of the man's head, swinging the suitcase up from below; Ali made contact with the man's face for a second time in less than five seconds. Much like his comrade, he too fell to the ground unconscious.

Below him, Azarand had seen the move his brother had made and wasted no time in making his own. Before any of the enemy agents around him had time to react, Azarand had super kicked the bald agent, "Porky." A sickening slap resounded around the plaza, as Azarand's steel toed dress shoes connected with the man's nose. The burly man fell to the ground in an unmoving heap. And then the two other agents reacted. They each came at him with punches and kicks, which Ali did his best to block. This was going to be a challenging fight. He saw an opening in one of the agent's defenses and drove his foot into the man's kneecap, the sound of shattering bone seared in his mind. The man screamed in pain yet he continued to fight on his one good leg.

He saw his brother running along a brick wall behind the still able bodied agent to his right. Seeing another opportunity, he shoved the man towards the wall where his brother stood, what happened next was something he totally expected.

The man had no idea that Ali was standing right behind him. Ali nudged the man's shoulder playfully, which caused the agent to swing around. In no time at all, Ali had jumped onto the man and wrapped his legs around the man's neck in a head scissors. Using the momentum from his jump, Ali tucked his body in and twisted his legs as his body swung around; the motion caused the agent to flip while Ali landed on his feet. The only sign that he'd done the maneuver was his now missing homburg hat.

Seeing his brother take out the second to last agent, Azarand moved toward the kneeling but still dangerous man. The agent looked up at him with pure hatred and when Azarand move close enough, he slashed at him with a small knife. Azarand dodged the attacks and planted his knee firmly in the man's face. The final agent fell back in silence.

With the confrontation over, Ali and Azarand looked around at the motionless bodies lying about the plaza. The rangers and the Magna Defender stared at the pair of clerics who'd just defeated an enemy three times their size.

Suddenly the Magna Defender turned and began to walk away.

Azarand turned to Ali to make sure his brother wasn't hurt. "You okay?" He asked him.

"Never better." Ali replied as he found and retrieved his homburg hat.

The rangers came over to them, wonder written all over their faces.

"That was amazing." Damon said simply, his voice weak with wonder and amazement.

Leo gave Azarand a smile. "You guys have some moves up your sleeves."

Ali came over to his brother, hat on his head, suitcase in hand. "Yes we do Leo. Now I'm spent, who wants some lunch?"

Needless to say, everyone agreed to those conditions.

Later that night, Ali and Azarand sat in their apartment with all the lights turned off. Both we getting ready to contact Zordon, and both were preparing themselves to receive answers to the questions that'd plagued them for many years.

They sat on the couch, thinking about the day's events. A beep sounded in the room. Ali sighed and reached under the coffee table to open the line of communication with Zordon.

The room was bathed in a blue glow and Zordon's figure soon appeared.

"Hello younglings, may I ask why you wished to contact me this night?" Zordon kindly inquired, looking back and forth between Ali and Azarand.

"What can you tell us about the Magna Defender?" Azarand jumped into questioning immediately.

"What would you like to know, there is quite a lot I can tell you." Zordon said.

"Who was he before he donned his armor?" Ali asked, his voice expressing his need for answers.

Zordon was quiet for a moment before responding. "He was a man, a kind being who wanted nothing more than to raise his family and serve his people."

Ali and Azarand sat still with shock.

" D….did you s..sa…say family?" Azarand asked nearly shaking with anxiety.

Zordon sighed. "Yes, a family. You see, he was a single parent; his beloved had died giving birth to the two youngest babes. He was left to raise three younglings all by himself. "

"What was the father's name? And what was the eldest son's name?" Ali asked, his voice tight, a warning to Zordon should he attempt to deceive the two clerics.

This time Zordon was silent for many minutes. "The father's name was Xanos, and the eldest brother's name was Zika." Zordon paused as he looked at the widened eyes of his two youngest clerics. "The two youngest were twins, their names were…"

"Ali and Azarand." Azarand cut Zordon off midsentence, his voice breathless.

Zordon merely nodded his head in confirmation.

"When the hell were you going to tell us? Or were you planning on keeping this all to yourself?" Ali was pissed to say the least.

Zordon held his hand up in a placating manner. "I was going to tell you when the time was right, needless to say, that time has come."

"What on earth do you mean!?" Ali screamed.

"I wanted you two to experience the man himself before I revealed to you who he was underneath. I needed to be sure you two knew what you were getting into." Zordon said quickly, trying to ease the anger of the two clerics.

"Needed us to be sure of what?" Azarand said, his voice laced with venom.

"That you recognized how villainous and how cold hearted the Magna Defender has become. And that revealing to you the true identity of the armored warrior would not compromise your mission towards protecting the rangers." Zordon was talking in rapid bursts of breathe.

"How could you think that!? Even if we knew who he was, we would still feel obligated to protect the rangers, even from the Magna Defender himself." Ali said, he was disappointed that Zordon would think so lowly of him and his brother when it came to the influence of their father.

"You're right Ali, I apologize, to both of you. I should've told you sooner." Zordon's voice was solemn.

"You're right, you should have told us a lot sooner." Azarand added on.

"I'm sorry. But surely, you realize that the being who wears the armor of the Magna Defender is not the same who sired you." Zordon attempted to tell the two sitting on the couch.

Ali and Azarand glanced at each other before replying. "We realize that the Magna Defender has been filled with anger and hatred. And that it clouds the honorable man he once was. The death of Zika did that to him didn't it?" Azarand asked Zordon.

Zordon merely nodded.

" Zordon please be honest with us. Is Zika really gone? Is our brother amongst the ancestors?" Ali asked, placing a hand on his brother's wrist, waiting for the reply.

"No, Zika is not dead. He is in quite a limbo." Zordon said, much to the relief and confusion of the brothers.

"Limbo?" Azarand asked.

Zordon nodded his head. "Yes a limbo, his body remains physically unable to live, yet his spirit, his mind are full of life. If need be, his physical being could be brought back."

"That's the key." Ali said smiling.

"The key for what?" Zordon asked, confused by the statement.

"The key to redeeming our father." Azarand answered back.

 **Phew! 9,739 words and 22 pages later, I've finally finished this chapter. Sorry for the long break in writing, I've been busy with my job, which I quit yesterday. So hopefully, I'll be back to writing a new chapter every two to three days. Hope you enjoyed this one, I had my mind working overtime.**

 **LittleP**


	12. Flashbacks (Slient Sleep)

Chapter 12: Flashbacks (Silent Sleep)

 **Hey folks! I want to apologize for the long time between posts. I really have no excuse to give other than laziness. I reality this chapter should've taken three days max, instead it took a week. In the future, I will try my best to pump out two of these each week.**

 **LittleP**

The Magna Defender stood atop a mountain as he stared at the early morning sky. His thoughts were focused on those two boys. After seeing how they fought, he noticed that their fighting styles virtually matched his own. From what little he remembered from before Zika was killed, their attitudes and personalities, while unique to each, had qualities that he had back on Taurus.

 _Flashback_

 _A young boy ran around a table, laughing and smiling. Behind him was his father, chasing after the toddler, making roaring noises and stomping his feet._

The Magna Defender came out of the scene with a start. That youngling looked exactly like the red headed blue eyed young man he'd seen yesterday. From what he remembered, the older man chasing after the tote looked very much like himself.

"That's impossible. I've only ever had one son, and he was destroyed by Scorpius." Magna Defender growled to himself, his gloved fist clenched in anger.

 _Flashback_

 _The two boys sat around the table with food in front of them. To their right was Zika, who was staring directly at him._

" _Father, can we start to eat now?" Zika asked him._

" _Why do you ask? You could've begun whenever you like, you need not ask for my permission to sustain your lives." He felt a smirk upon his mouth._

 _The two young ones giggled at his comment, as did Zika, and they began to stuff their mouths full of fresh food._

He was whipped back into the present. Again, the two younglings in these memories looked exactly like the two young men he'd seen yesterday.

An idea began to blossom in the deep recesses of his soul. An idea he never thought possible, an idea that he would try to suppress at all costs.

"That is impossible. These two cannot be related to me, this is a scheme to manipulate me into letting down my guard. I will not let that happen." He vowed to himself, if these two thought they could get inside his head, they were wrong.

* * *

 **The City Dome**

Ali and Azarand were currently engaged in deep conversation with Zordon. Ever since they'd discovered the truth about the Magna Defender the pair was on a mission to find answers. Their conversations with Zordon occurred frequently, since the omnipotent being was the only one who could give them answers about their father.

"How is it that we remember him, yet we seem unknown to him?" Ali asked his question towards the blue figure suspended above the coffee table.

"I believe that his hate clouds his memory. After your father had fallen into the crevice on Miranoi, his rage and anger at the supposed loss on his son had many centuries to grow and fester. As time passed, the majority of his memories from before Zika was killed were either distorted, or forgotten under the weight of all that hatred. Only the memories that served to incense the Magna Defender remained, the rest I fear may've been lost." Zordon told the pair in a gloomy tone of voice.

Azarand perked up at Zordon's statement. Being a psychologist, he had a different opinion. "I respectfully disagree with you Zordon." He said, both Ali and Zordon had their eyes on him. "While his hatred may've served to cloud his memory, important memories, like those of his family, aren't just simply forgotten. The impact these memories had on him persists to this day, whether he remembers or not. Memories like that don't go away, they can be repressed, but they do not simply fade away. These memories lay deep within his subconscious, to bring them out, you need a trigger."

"You very well may be right Azarand. While I am highly regarded amongst many, I must say that you two best me when it comes to matters of astrophysics or cognitive neuroscience." Zordon gave the pair a smirk.

Both clerics smirked back at their leader.

"So you're suggesting we trigger these memories?" Ali asked his brother.

Azarand shook his head vehemently. "Heaven no. The triggers for these memories will come along naturally as this path of ours grows."

"So you're saying we just keep doing what we're doing?" Ali asked, seeking further clarification.

Azarand nodded.

Zordon spoke up, informing the pair of their oncoming objectives. "Young ones, it is time for me to inform you of your next mission. As you are aware, Scorpius is becoming increasingly desperate to find and control the Lights of Orion. After the failure and destruction of Fishface, he will resort to more extreme measures. As we speak a monster by the name of Chillyfish is making his way to Terra Venture. I cannot tell you what will happen next, but I must stress the importance that you protect yourselves."

"Protect ourselves from what?" Azarand asked.

" The freezing cold." Zordon spoke cryptically.

"Thanks for the details." Ali said with a mixture of true graciousness and sarcasm in his voice.

" Before we end our conversation, I have something to give you." Zordon told the pair.

Suddenly the room was bathed in a yellow glow, both brothers remembered the last time such light blinded them was with the lights themselves.

"You brought the lights to us?" Azarand said more than shocked.

"These lights are not real. The real lights are still out there somewhere waiting to be found. You will need this decoy in your mission." Zordon informed his two young clerics.

"What are we supposed to do with them?" Ali asked.

"Simply release them. Destiny will take care of the rest." Zordon told the pair.

"What do you mean by destiny?" Ali asked his leader.

"All I can tell you is that the Magna Defender will gain possession of this decoy." Zordon said before he quickly ended the communication.

Ali put the lights in the wooden box the real lights had been stored in previously. After completing the task, Ali stood and looked at his brother, who looked right back at him.

"Well let's get going." Azarand said, putting on his gray suit and flat cap.

Ali nodded, putting on his black suit and homburg hat. Grabbing the wooden box, the two made their way out the door.

* * *

Leo, Damon, and Maya were at the local horse sanctuary where Maya worked during her time off.

Both Leo and Damon walked towards Maya who was washing the horses.

"Hey, perfect timing; I need someone to exercise that horse." Maya told the two rangers standing before her.

Both Leo and Damon had both never ridden a horse and were not planning on doing so anytime in the future.

"Oh, I've got to head back to that thing." Leo came up with an excuse, not caring how stupid it sounded.

Damon not one to be left behind also came up with an excuse. "Oh look at the time; I've got to be at that place." The green ranger said, looking down at his bare wrist, hoping that Maya wouldn't notice.

Maya was not impressed at the excuses she heard. "Hold it, do I sense fear from you two?"

Damon was the first to replay. "No, not me."

"Fear? No way." Leo said.

Maya smiled as she thought of a plan. "Good, then toss a coin." She flicked a dime at the two rangers.

Leo asked for heads and Damon for tails, the flip resulted in Leo being the one going for a horse ride. Needless to say, he was not happy about it.

Leo had nervously mounted the horse that without warning took off at a full gallop.

"Leo!" Maya yelled as the red ranger tried to maintain his grip on the running horse.

He did not.

Leo fell away from the saddle and hit the ground hard. Both Maya and Damon ran towards him in a panic.

"Leo are you okay?" Maya asked concernedly as she reached Leo.

Leo slowly got up, his clothing was covered in mud. He felt around his body to ensure that he wasn't injured. "Nothing's broken." He said with confidence. His hand slowly reached up and felt his neck, when he didn't feel Mike's dog tags, his eyes widened in panic.

"My brother's dog tags." Leo said, looking around to search for them. He noticed a glint of metal sticking out of the mud behind Damon. Moving towards the glaring light, he reached down and pulled out his brother's dog tags from the muddy earth. He quickly refastened them around his neck.

Leo stood up and turned around the face Damon and Maya, the former was laughing at him. "Man you should've seen the look on your face." Damon quipped towards Leo.

Seeing the look on Leo's face, Maya was quick to scold Damon. "Would you like to go next?" She glared at the green ranger.

"No." Damon was quick to reply, his smile fading in the process.

Leo stared back at him and smiled.

* * *

Later that night, Ali and Azarand were out and about in the city. They were searching for suitable places to release their mock Lights of Orion.

They'd found a small park which seemed to be devoid of any potential onlookers.

Ali set the small wooden box down on the grass and slowly opened it. Beside him, Azarand stood watch, in case anyone came by.

The park was soon bathed in light, light which soon began to move as the fake Lights of Orion moved away from the pair of clerics and into the night sky.

Smiling to each other at their success, Ali picked up the wooden box as he and his brother began their walk back to their apartment.

* * *

Later in the dark of night, a monster by the name of Chillyfish transported down to the surface. Landing on top of a building, the blue brute scanned the city he was to immobilize.

"Let's turn down the heat." Chillyfish said, letting out a sinister laugh. He proceeded to remove his hat and throw it like a frisbee. The hat flew out over the city and shot beams of freezing rays onto the surface. The rays froze every human being they contacted. Soon, nearly all the citizens of Terra Venture, from the runner in the park to Commander Stanton, were frozen.

With the crew of Terra Venture frozen, the engines of the great space station began to shut down. If they weren't reactivated soon, Terra Venture's life support systems would slowly begin to shut down and eventually the space station would become a giant frozen hulk of metal floating in interstellar space, incapable of supporting life.

* * *

Leo and the other rangers were alerted to something being wrong when the lights in their room went out, and a slight shock went through the station as the engines shut down.

He and the others quickly left their quarters, morphed, and ran into the city, intent on finding the cause of the problem. If recent experience taught them anything, it was most likely that Scorpius was behind all of this.

Leo and the others ran into the main city square, where they found countless civilians lying stock still.

Damon ran over to a man on the ground and brought him into his arms. "He's frozen." The green ranger said in shock.

Chillyfish appeared on top of an adjacent building and blasted the rangers, Damon deflecting the majority of the freezing bolts. Chillyfish then transported away, with the rangers in hot pursuit.

"Hold it!" Leo shouted as they finally came upon Chillyfish.

The monster laughed evilly. "Just who I was looking for, prepare to join the rest of your colony!"

"You won't get away with this!" Maya shouted towards Chillyfish.

"Who's going to stop me, you?" Chillyfish mocked.

Leo had heard enough, he had to save Terra Venture. Drawing his saber, he charged towards Chillyfish and slashed at him. The monster parried his blows and blasted him with a freeze bolt, sending him flying back a number of feet.

"Leo!" Kai shouted, as he and the other rangers surrounded Leo. Chillyfish instantly blasted all four of them with freeze bolts.

"What was that?" Maya asked as she held her neck in pain.

"Hahahaha! You'll see rangers; the best is yet to come." Chillyfish said before teleporting away.

Leo attempted to chase after him, but it was no use.

"Come on guys, let's get him!" Leo said. However, he quickly noticed no response from his friends. Turning around he saw them falling to the ground.

Thinking quickly, Leo demorphed and ran towards his ailing friends, the frigid temperatures of their bodies causing them to demorph as well.

Leo quickly slung an arm around Kai and began to lead the ranger back toward their quarters, the other rangers slowly stumbling behind him.

It took many minutes, but eventually they reached their quarters. No sooner had they all entered that each of the rangers began to freeze. No matter how many blankets Leo put on their numb bodies, it was no use against Chillyfish's freeze bolts.

Soon Leo was the only one not frozen on Terra Venture. At least, he thought so.

* * *

Ali and Azarand had both awoken to their apartment shaking. Getting out from under his covers, Ali soon realized that it was noticeably colder, so much so that he began to shiver.

Azarand came out from his room, still dressed in his pajamas. "What's going on?"

"I don't know but it's chilly." Ali said in a passing tone.

Both brothers were still, slowly their faces turned to face each other, their eyes widening in recognition.

"Chillyfish!" Both said, the two running to the coffee table, intent on contacting Zordon.

Ali decided to take a detour and went over towards the front door. Opening it, he found the darkened hallways were also frigid in temperature. And it was quiet, too quiet.

A beep from the small living room alerted him that his brother had made contact with Zordon. Going back through the doorway and into the apartment, Ali shut the front door, and joined his brother on the couch.

" Zordon, Chillyfish has made his move. He's done something to Terra Venture." Azarand explained to Zordon.

"Indeed he has. Chillyfish has frozen the entire colony." Zordon said with finality.

"Frozen the entire colony?" Ali asked in confusion, surely that wasn't possible.

Zordon nodded. "He has frozen everyone and everything."

Terror went through Ali. If Chillyfish had succeeded in freezing everyone, then who there be to operate and maintain the engines and life support? "Have any of the rangers made it out okay?"

Zordon had no response. "I cannot say."

Ali nodded in silence. Azarand just stared at Zordon.

"You two may be the only ones left unfrozen on Terra Venture. It is up to you to put an end to Chillyfish. You must do whatever you can to stop him. I believe you can do it, with every fiber of my being." Zordon told the pair, the being was beaming with pride towards the two young clerics. The line of communication went dead, it too succumbing to the freezing cold.

Ali glanced over at the clock on the kitchen counter, it was nearly dawn. The star the station was closest to was about to rise over the glass enclosed city.

The two brothers quickly went to their rooms and began to get ready.

Azarand put on his gray three piece suit. He opted for a black tie considering the dire situation Terra Venture was in. He moved over to his dresser and took out his belt and wrapped it around his waist. He holstered his sleek and black S&W Governor, extra ammunition, and a K-bar military combat knife onto his belt. Buttoning up his suit jacket, he put his gray flat cap upon his red hair and walked out of his room, ready to do battle.

Ali did much the same. He put on his black suit jacket, with a white shirt, and dark blue tie. He put his belt on his black dress pants, white flowed over his solid black shoes. He took out his holstered .44 magnum and strapped it over his left hip, his .357 magnum went over his left thigh. On the backside of his belt he strapped a small knife and in his suit's chest pocket, he put his ever present stiletto switchblade. Ali opted for a black trench coat rather than a three piece suit, the garment flowing to his knees. Putting on his black homburg hat and tight black leather gloves on his cold hands, Ali exited his room and went out to join his brother.

The two clerics left together, each a small mobile fortress, each a force to be reckoned with and they had their sights set on Chillyfish.

* * *

The Magna Defender was in the mountain dome, watching the sun rise. He knew that Chillyfish had frozen Terra Venture, and he couldn't care less. All he cared about was obtaining the Lights of Orion and destroying Scorpius.

A smirk came upon his face. Despite the recent memories he'd been having, perhaps those two young boys would be frozen as well, they would be one less problem to deal with in the future, them and those rangers, how they enraged him.

Suddenly, a light much brighter than the rising sun enveloped his vision. There was only one answer, the lights were here!

He attempted to draw the lights closer, which seemed to work. The lights were now directly over his helmeted head. However, despite his calls for power, the lights never fused with him. They remained floating over him, and that's when he noticed it.

The lights were quite a bit dimmer than the lights he'd released on Miranoi 3,000 years ago. A visual fact only one that had handled the real lights would've known, these were fake. Anger and rage welled up within him, now knowing that he would have to wait to acquire the real Lights of Orion to destroy Scorpius. On the heels of those emotions was a feeling of opportunity. He could use this decoy as a way to draw Chillyfish out, to destroy him, and to trick Scorpius into revealing himself. It was the perfect plan.

Putting the fake lights inside the small wooden box, the Magna Defender strode away in the morning light.

* * *

Azarand and Ali were walking through the city. Everywhere they turned cars lay still, their occupants inside frozen, no sounds of laughter or conversations could be heard, and no birds chirped. Terra Venture was dead silent, so much so that Azarand thought he could hear his blood moving through his veins. It unnerved both clerics to say the least.

The pair was hot on the trail of Chillyfish, they knew if they kept up the chase that they would soon confront the monster.

Side by side, the two brothers jogged towards their target.

* * *

Leo was also in the hunt for Chillyfish. He was walking amongst the many stalled cars, he walked up to a random vehicle. Inside he found the driver frozen, however that wasn't what surprised him. The driver's pet bird was alive and chirping away.

"Huh, the bird's okay." Leo said to himself, trying to understand why Chillyfish's spell hadn't frozen it as well.

Suddenly Leo saw Chillyfish's hat out of the corner of his eye, the blue object spinning as it flew above the ground.

"You're not getting away this time." Leo vowed as he gave chase.

Leo followed the monster through a network of power generators and air conditioning units. When he rounded the last unit, he was momentarily surprised to see not Chillyfish, but Trecheron. The white monster was surrounded by stingwingers and to his left was a green monster Leo had never seen before.

"Trecheron!" Leo shouted, moving his hands into a defensive position in front of him, his fists clenched.

Trecheron slowly turned around to face him. "Red ranger." He said simply.

Leo was a little bit surprised that the monster recognized his unmorphed form.

"So you managed to avoid Chillyfish's attack." Trecheron pointed at Leo, his hand slowly moving down to grip his katana."Too bad you won't manage to avoid mine." He said, drawing his sword. "Stingwingers attack!" Trecheron ordered, the band of minions running towards Leo at full speed.

Leo wasted no time; he jumped onto a stingwinger's shoulder and jumped off. While in mid air he morphed.

He drew his saber, intent on bringing it down on the unknown green monster, but Trecheron blocked his blow with his katana. Sparks erupted from the impact, which also knocked Trecheron and the unknown green monster to the ground.

"Get back to the ship!" Trecheron ordered the green monster, much to Leo's confusion. Yet he and the white monster still had their blades locked together.

Trecheron faced away from Leo and shot a beam at the crouching green monster, who despite its protests was sent back to the Scorpian Stinger.

Leo and Trecheron continued their engagement, each slashing, blocking, and parrying the others' blows. At one point, Trecheron attempted to hack at Leo's legs, but the red ranger effortlessly jumped over the blade. Leo once again tried to attack Trecheron's midsection only to find his attack blocked once more. With he and Trecheron locked in stalemate, Leo turned his head and saw the group of stingwingers running towards him.

Knowing he had to act, Leo hit Trecheron's sword away, and crouched down on one knee. He knew what was going to happen next, and without looking, used his Quasar Saber to block and hold Trecheron's swinging blade. Using his free hand, Leo produced his Transdagger and blasted the group of stingwingers before they had a chance to inflict any damage.

With one threat removed, Leo refocused his attention on Trecheron. Leo somersaulted into the air away from Trecheron, giving him more room for his attacks. Trecheron charged forward and raised his sword over his head; Leo blocked the blow and managed to get a strike in on Trecheron's unprotected midsection. The blow sent the monster staggering back with his hand clutching his chest.

"I have no time for this, the Lights of Orion call!" Trecheron said, before he transported away from the fight, leaving Leo alone.

"Trecheron!" Leo shouted, angered that the monster had yet run away from another fight. Before it was the Magna Defender, now it was him.

Leo stood by himself, breathing heavily from the fight seconds earlier.

Out of the corner of his visor, Leo saw a figure moving behind some bushes.

"Someone else isn't frozen." Leo said quietly to himself. He quickly gave chase after the mysterious figure. "Hey stop!" Leo shouted, closing in on the figure, he could see who it was. And it didn't surprise him that this individual wasn't frozen.

* * *

Holding up the box, the Magna Defender captured the lights and flipped the lid closed. He knew the red ranger was standing behind him, most likely gawking like a fool.

He turned around to face the ranger that got in his way one too many times. "Red ranger, you shouldn't be here." He said, hoping that would dissuade the ranger from inquiring further.

Hoped was the key word, and he knew he should have expected that to have no effect on the meddlesome ranger. He turned away from the ranger and began walking away.

"Wait! Come back!" He heard the ranger yell to him, and suddenly the red ranger was in front of him, his hands on his shoulder plates.

"You have to give me the lights, they could unfreeze the colony." The ranger pleaded to him.

This frustrated him beyond words. How could this measly excuse for a warrior just expect him to hand these lights over to him? Even if they were not real, they still were of vital importance to his plans. "You don't know what you're talking about, step aside." He brushed the ranger out of his space with a strong arm and resumed walking once more.

Of course he didn't expect it to last.

"Every person in the colony is freezing, they won't last much longer, you've got to help them." The red ranger said to him.

That did it. He was frustrated before but now this man's ignorance made him angry. He quickly grasped his swords hilt and thrust said hilt into the gut of the ranger standing before him. "I must not waiver from my mission." He ground out; he hoped for the ranger's sake that he would heed the warning. If he didn't, then he would be taken care of.

"Your mission?" The red ranger asked, still holding his bruised stomach.

Underneath his helmet he let loose a strong sigh of barely contained anger. "I must destroy Scorpius."He said strongly, he'd hoped the ranger would've gotten the message at this point.

"Lives are at stake. I'm the only one left who can save them. There is no greater mission more important than that." The red ranger drew his saber. "Give me the lights!" He demanded.

The Magna Defender had had it. He drew his blaster and quickly pointed it at the ranger. "Get out of my way, if you think I won't hurt you, you're wrong." He was giving the ranger one last chance to get out of his way, he had no qualms about destroying the red ranger here and now if need be. "Stand aside." He growled one final time.

"Never." The red ranger said with confidence.

He pulled the trigger.

The red ranger jumped up and over the blast, which impacted the tree behind him. The Magna Defender charged forward, but turned around to face the new position of the red ranger. The defender tried to club the ranger with his blaster, but Leo blocked the blows, and instead hit the box containing the lights out of the Magna Defender's hands. The wooden object flew high into the clear blue sky.

"The lights!" The Magna Defender shouted as he witnessed the box fly from his hand.

The defender pumped his blaster again and leveled it at the ranger, who fell to the ground to get out of the way of the impending bolt. The Magna Defender repositioned his aim to the ground and fired. But the shot was again blocked by Leo who slashed at the blaster who then scored a blow of the Magna Defender.

The blow to the Magna Defender's chest caused a shower of sparks and smoke to erupt. The defender spun away from the ranger, yet showed no signs of being impeded by the blow.

Leo took this opportunity to chase after the box containing the lights, which was still flying through the air. Leo leapt into the air and caught the box with his right hand. However, the Magna Defender was not going to let the ranger keep his prize for long. The defender jumped into the air as well, as he came upon Leo, the Magna Defender scored a slashing blow to Leo's chest. This caused the ranger to fall like a stone, the box landing yards away.

Leo stood up to retrieve the box, but quickly realized that the Magna Defender was advancing on him. He spun around and blocked the first blow from the defender, but he had no such luck blocking the second blow. The Magna Defender buried the hilt of his sword into the gut of the red ranger once again, and then locked swords with the man.

Using his superior height and weight advantage, the Magna Defender shoved Leo towards a tree and pinned him there.

He was going to tell the ranger exactly how he felt about him, seeing as he'd already humiliated him. "You let your heart be your guide red ranger. You're weak! I let nothing stand in my way!" The Magna Defender grabbed the ranger's sword and threw it along with the ranger holding it to the ground.

"Scorpius will be destroyed!" The Magna Defender vowed.

Leo stood up and held himself up as best as he could through the pain. "So will the whole colony!" He drew his transdagger and fired at the Magna Defender.

The Magna Defender blocked the shots with his sword, then quickly turning it into the Magna Blaster, he fired back at the red ranger.

All the shots hit Leo, who was thrown to the ground. He fell with the wooden box directly in front of him. He attempted to rise again to retrieve the box, but was hit in the back by a blast from the Magna Defender. He turned to face the black armored warrior, who had his blaster pointed at Leo. The ranger put his saber in front of him protectively. The defender fired again, the bolt deflected off of Leo's saber, and hit the wooden box, destroying it.

With no confines to hold it, the Lights of Orion burst forth. Both Leo and the Magna Defender watched as the lights moved between them then finally up and away.

The Magna Defender turned away from Leo. "I hate you." He said, before jumping away, chasing after the lights.

Leo was left alone once again and fell to his knees in pain.

He was not alone for long. A minute after his spat with the Magna Defender had ended.

"Leo!" A voice cried from behind him, Leo heard distinct sounds of running feet.

Leo managed to barely turn around, and witnessed a sight that sent relief through his frame.

Ali and Azarand, the two brothers, were running towards him.

 _So they haven't fallen to Chillyfish's spell either?_ Leo thought as the pair reached him.

* * *

Ali and Azarand were worried to say the least when they found Leo in the park on his knees. It looked like the ranger had taken a beating, from whom, they did not know.

"Leo!" Azarand shouted, as both he and his brother began running towards the red ranger.

The ranger turned towards the pair just as they reached him. Leo shakily stood to his feet, Ali quickly grabbing his right bicep to keep Leo from falling. Leo dropped the visor on his helmet down, allowing Ali and Azarand to look into his face.

"Leo, what happened?" Ali asked as he looked Leo over. Azarand too was giving Leo a through looking over.

"The Magna Defender and I had a little run in." Leo said simply, gritting his teeth through the residual pain.

Azarand noticed that Ali's fists had clenched at Leo's answer. "Why would he battle you? Doesn't the stubborn bull headed assface have the Lights of Orion to search for, or perhaps destroy Chillyfish?" Azarand couldn't contain himself. While the warrior might be his father, he wouldn't stand by and let said sire harm his charges.

Azarand noticed that both Ali and Leo were staring at him like he'd grown another head.

"He had the lights. When I first confronted him, he had the lights, during our fight the lights were freed and escaped both of our grasps. "Leo noticed the shock on both of the brother's faces.

"He had the lights? Are you serious?" Azarand asked Leo.

Leo shook his helmeted head.

Ali feigned the look of shock, as he already knew about the fake lights. Looking over, he noticed his brother was doing the same as well. Internally he was extremely satisfied, their plan had worked perfectly. The Magna Defender had acquired the fake lights, and now that they were free, Chillyfish would also be on their trail.

However, Ali was still upset that the Magna Defender had harmed Leo like he did. "Did you see which way Magna Defender went?" He asked Leo.

Leo shook his head. "I don't remember. He isn't my biggest problem right now. The colony is freezing and I need to find Chillyfish in order to stop that from happening."

Both Ali and Azarand nodded their heads in acceptance.

"How will you do that if no vehicles work?" Azarand posed the question to Leo.

Leo was silent for a moment before replying. "Simple, the animals aren't frozen. Maya has a horse barn; I could take one of the horses out."

"I noticed that as well Leo. Excellent thinking on your part." Ali praised the ranger.

"Thanks Ali, now I have to get going." Leo told the pair as he ran off.

* * *

Ali and Azarand were left by themselves in the now quiet park.

"What should we do?" Azarand asked his brother.

"Well we have two options. Help Leo track down Chillyfish, or deal with bull head." Ali told his brother who nodded his head.

Azarand pondered the options for a moment. "I believe that Leo can hold his own against Chillyfish, do you agree?"

"I do indeed." Ali replied.

"Then we are going to deal with the Magna Defender." Azarand said confidently, Ali nodded in acceptance. The two brothers set out, intent on finding the Magna Defender and confronting him. If things got out of hand, which it probably would, they knew how to defend themselves.

* * *

Ali and Azarand travelled to the mountain dome, knowing that the Magna Defender was there. As they walked through the hills and valleys, both thought about the inevitable upcoming confrontation. After searching most of the morning, Ali and Azarand found their target. They first noticed a black shape standing on the edge of a sheer cliff, as they closed the distance the figure grew more defined. They walked towards the Magna Defender, whose black cape covered back was facing them. However, they knew the defender had sensed them.

They came to a stop, no less than 10 feet separating the two opposing parties.

"Magna Defender." Ali spoke up, breaking the growing silence.

The Magna Defender made no move to acknowledge their arrival. But Ali and Azarand pushed on.

"You very nearly destroyed the red ranger. May I ask why?" Azarand posed the question to the black armored defender.

The silence stretched between the three, Ali was fully expecting to receive no answer, so when an answer was given, it surprised him.

"Because no fool such as he should have such powers." The Magna Defender replied, his back still facing the clerics.

"Why do you think he's a fool? Is it because you're jealous?" Ali asked, hoping that his last sentence would provoke the defender.

It did. The Magna Defender turned his head to the left so that his left eye could take in the sight of the two standing behind him. "Jealousy is for those who are weak. No, I battled him because he got in my way."

"Got in the way of what?" Azarand asked, already knowing the answer. His many conversations with Zordon and his brother gave him some insight into the mind of the armored man who stood before him.

The man that was his long lost father.

"He got in the way of my plans to destroy Scorpius. Now are you two meddling boys done annoying me?" The Magna Defender growled, unpleased with the prodding questions.

"We're just getting warmed up." Azarand said coldly.

The Magna Defender turned around to fully face the two clerics, his visor reflecting the rays of the sun. The large turquoise colored crystal in the center of his chest gleamed in the late morning light.

Ali, feeling emboldened by his brother's response, spoke up. "You see Magna Defender, we are charged with protecting the rangers from harm. By nearly destroying the red ranger, you've drawn us into this conflict of yours. We are here to ensure that you don't do that again."

The Magna Defender fixed Ali with a glare. "I'd like to see you boys try and stop me from completing my mission." Magna Defender's voice had an undertone of dark amusement. His gauntleted hand moved to grip his blaster.

Ali and Azarand were not to be intimidated. Azarand's unbuttoned his gray suit jacket, his right hand slipping underneath to grip his revolver. Ali took a bolder approach. Undoing the buttons of his trench coat, and then his suit jacket, Ali moved the articles of clothing aside; giving the Magna Defender a full view of his two holstered firearms.

"Your move defender. Either way, we're not going to let you off the hook for harming a ranger." Ali challenged the Magna Defender. Father or not, this man had very nearly killed Leo, one of their charges, they could not let that go unpunished.

The Magna Defender gripped the hilt of his saber and withdrew the blade, causing Ali and Azarand's grips on their revolvers tightened. Instead of charging at the two with his saber, the Magna Defender stuck the saber in the ground. Clenching his hands, he moved into a combat stance.

Ali and Azarand got the message. Ali buttoned up his suit jacket and removed his trench coat, setting it on the ground beside him. To his left, Azarand had buttoned up his gray suit and removed his gray flat cap. His red hair shone in the light.

The two clerics began slowly stepping towards the awaiting defender. As they advanced, each knew this fight would be difficult, if not impossible. This man was their father; their fighting styles very nearly matched his own. Ali could sense a stalemate in the making.

They stopped just a step or two away from the Magna Defender. A light breeze blew through the mountain dome, ruffling both Azarand's hair and the Magna Defender's cape. The three stood there in silence for what seemed like minutes, sizing each other up.

Suddenly and without warning, the Magna Defender threw a strong punch in Ali's direction, the cleric managed to block the blow with his two hands. However, the move left him open, the Magna Defender planted a kick square into Ali's sternum, and the blow sent Ali to the ground.

Azarand joined in simultaneously, hoping the Magna Defender was distracted enough to not realize the peril he'd placed himself in. Ali tried to roundhouse kick the warrior but found his foot caught by the defender's arms, which spun him around. He received a strong kick to the back that sent him onto all fours.

Ali had recovered from the earlier blow as he kicked up off the ground. He sent a stinging blow with the point of his steel reinforced shoe into the Magna Defender's calf. He specifically aimed for the region because it was located between two armored plates with nothing but the leather bodysuit protecting it. The blow connected and sent the Magna Defender to one knee, Ali thought he heard the defender grunt in pain. Not wasting time, Ali tried to place another kick right on the defender's large crystal at the center of his armored chest. The Magna Defender caught his foot and twisted it, sending him spinning to the ground.

The Magna Defender got up from his kneeling position, but had no time to collect himself as Azarand threw a vicious punch towards his helmet. The Magna Defender again blocked the blow, and threw a punch of his own, which was subsequently blocked by Azarand. The two continued to thrust and block each other's blows, neither scoring hits on the other.

Ali came out of nowhere and drop kicked the Magna Defender right in the chest, the man staggered back but did not waiver. He subsequently grabbed hold of Azarand's hand ,who was attempting to throw yet another punch, and twisted his entire arm, the move causing Azarand to flip.

Ali charged towards the defender and threw successive punches and chops of his own, each blocked by the black armored warrior in front of him. Ali also managed to block every one of Magna Defender's punches, kicks, and jabs as well.

Just as he'd thought, they were at an impasse. Seeing that they would get nowhere, Ali dropped his hands to his sides and quickly stepped back. The Magna Defender, seeing this, stopped his attack as well. To their right, Azarand was on his feet and shoulder his left arm.

"You two fight well; I've never fought two opponents more worthy than yourselves." The Magna Defender said, his frame was hulking slightly with exertion. "It seems we are at an impasse."

Ali was panting by this point. "Thanks, I guess. And yes, I believe we are at a stalemate."

Azarand however, was not having any of it. "You think you can simply stop this fight!? People are going to die, and you couldn't give a care in the world. I would've expected better from a Tauruen citizen. But then yet again, they exterminated an entire class of beings." Bitter resentment colored his voice.

The Magna Defender and Ali stood shock still. Ali didn't know that his brother was capable of such anger. The Magna Defender was shocked that this boy knew of his home planet, and by the way he spoke of it, sounded like he'd lived on Taurus once. The thought of his connection to these two came back in full force. Perhaps he did know these two, perhaps those flashbacks were trying to tell him something, something which he refused to believe.

Azarand, receiving no answer, spit in the direction of the Magna Defender and turned his back on the warrior, intent on retrieving his flat cap and getting out of there.

Ali stood steadfast, his eyes moving between his brother, and his unknowing father.

Azarand began to walk away, but not before he stopped and turned around fully to face the warrior he'd just battled. "Zika would be ashamed at the monster you've become." Azarand's voice cracked as he spoke. He quickly turned around and resumed walking away once more.

The Magna Defender was enraged. How dare he even mention his son! His hand quickly moved towards his sheath, but he found his saber was not there. Looking over to his left, he saw the sword still stuck in the ground. Looking ahead once more, he saw the other youngling; the one with dark hair was watching him like a hawk. His hand was underneath his jacket, most likely on his weapon. The Magna Defender knew it wouldn't be wise to make a move. The young one retrieved his black hat and placed it atop his head.

"You need to do some soul searching Xanos." Ali said to the Magna Defender, before quickly turning around and following his brother down the slope.

The Manga Defender made no motion to move. The man had just called him by his old name, no one except his family would know of it. His thoughts were in chaos, could these two really be his family? The two younglings in his memories? He had to find answers.

The conversation he'd just had spurred something deep within his black heart. Perhaps not all of honorable warrior he once was had been destroyed. He made up his mind to destroy Chillyfish, and if that saved the colony, then so be it. He convinced himself that he was not, and could never be a hero. He was merely destroying one of Scorpius' monsters.

Somewhere, deep within the Magna Defender's soul, a part of his old self smiled at the lie.

* * *

Leo had trekked back to the stables where just yesterday morning, he, Maya, and Damon were having the time of their lives. Now the only sounds that could be heard were the neighs of the horses and the clomping of their hooves.

Leo went over to the main horse pen and looked at the white horse prancing around inside. It was the same horse he'd ridden yesterday morning, the same one that'd dumped him into the mud.

He noticed a saddle and harness conveniently sitting on the railing next to him. Leo hesitated, he knew he needed to find Chillyfish, and this horse was the only way to do it. However, he was still extremely nervous about riding, especially after what'd happened yesterday.

He swallowed his fearfulness. His friends needed him, and Terra Venture needed him. He picked up the saddle and made his way into the enclosure, slowly walking towards the center. The white horse trotted around him, clearly uneasy about the newcomer.

"I know you don't think I can ride, maybe you're right, but I need your help." Leo said more to himself rather than the horse.

The white horse continued to gallop around Leo, clearly not interested in helping him. Leo turned to stare at the ground, now this colony was doomed.

"You were my last hope." He said in a solemn voice.

As Leo was losing his hope, behind him, the white horse slowed down until it stopped directly behind him. The horse impatiently snorted and scraped his hoof across the dirt.

Leo turned around in utter disbelief. The horse trusted him! Leo slowly moved towards the horse and gently began to put the harness around the horses head. The horse bent his neck to allow Leo to complete the task easier.

Leo mounted the horse which bucked wildly, unused to the sensation of a rider. But Leo maintained his grip, and soon he and the horse had jumped the enclosure fence.

The chase was on.

* * *

Ali and Azarand were hot on the trail of Chillyfish, who they'd discovered had acquired a horse of his own. From their cover, both clerics watched as Chillyfish chased down and captured, the fake Lights of Orion.

" We've got green all across the board." Azarand whispered to his brother.

Ali's smile was a mile wide.

They waited a few seconds until they saw what they knew would happen.

The lights in Chillyfish's hands disintegrated. "What!? A fake!" The monster roared, enraged his hard work had been for naught.

Both Ali and Azarand then saw who they'd hoped to see. Leo.

* * *

"Chillyfish!" Leo shouted as he and his steed came up on the monster. Chillyfish maneuvered his own horse around and charged at full gallop towards Leo. Leo drew his saber and smacked Chillyfish's sword, an audible clank resounding throughout the open space.

Leo turned around and saw Chillyfish galloping away. Urging his horse onward, Leo closed the distance between him and Chillyfish until Leo was parallel with the monster. He and Chillyfish engaged each other while riding next to one another. Eventually Leo pulled away and galloped once more towards Chillyfish. Once he was close enough he leapt off the horse and into the air, Chillyfish doing the same. Their swords met with a thunderous sound. The impact sent both flying back a couple of feet.

"You're not so tough ranger, this time I'll finish you!" Chillyfish said, charging towards the red ranger.

Leo ducked the swing and managed to strike a blow against the monster. Chillyfish stood stock still for a number of seconds before he dropped his sword. Then without warning, Chillyfish erupted in blasts of sparks and smoke, the monster fell to the ground.

* * *

Ali and Azarand saw what'd happened to the monster, and needless to say, both were intrigued. That's when they saw it. They could barely make it out from where they were hiding, but there, protruding from Chillyfish's smoking body, was Zika's dagger.

No less than a second later, the owner of the dagger made himself known. The Magna Defender jumped and landed a few feet away from the ranger, who turned around to stare at the warrior who had very nearly cost him his life earlier in the day.

"Magna Defender?" Leo said, surprised that he would see the man again.

"Those lights were a decoy, but you ruined my plan." The Magna Defender told Leo.

"I didn't know." Leo said apologetically, had he known, he wouldn't have battled the armored man.

Both men saw movement off to their right. Turning in that direction, both were greeted to the sight of Ali and Azarand strolling through the long grass towards them.

"Very impressive work you two." Ali said a smile on his face. While he meant it with sincerity, he was uncertain if the Magna Defender would take it as such.

"Yes indeed, very well done." Azarand said.

Suddenly, Chillyfish grew to be many stories tall. His demonic laugh echoing throughout the city.

Ali and Azarand stood wide eyed at the sight. But the Magna Defender sprung into action.

"Torozord charge!" He shouted. The metal hulking beast appeared on the horizon and moved closer. "Magna Defender transform!" A laser beam shot from Torozord's eyes and enveloped the defender. The Magna Defender grew to be many stories tall.

Below, Ali and Azarand looked back and forth between each other and the two gigantic sized beings before them.

"Pretty cool eh?" Ali said, Azarand could only nod.

The Magna Defender jumped up into the air and kicked Chillyfish, the giant went flying. As Chillyfish got up the Magna Defender stood facing the monster and pointed one of his golden blades at the monster. "Tell me what you know of the Lights of Orion and I'll spare you."

Of course the Magna Defender had no intention of sparing this monster. If he did so, it wouldn't affect his plans, but it would affect those two younglings below him. If Chillyfish survived, those two would not, and for some reason that made him feel uneasy.

"I'm not telling you anything, mega loser." Chillyfish mocked.

"So be it, you made your choice." The Magna Defender said, charging towards the monster.

Chillyfish likewise began running towards the Magna Defender. He swung his sword down at the armored giant, only for it to be blocked.

The Magna Defender scored blow after blow on Chillyfish, eventually causing the monster to fall to the ground. The Magna Defender took the opportunity to activate the Defender Torozord.

As Chillyfish stood up, the Defender Torozord hit a spinning slash across the monster's body. Chillyfish fell to the ground and exploded.

Down below, Ali, Leo, and Azarand stood in awe. Ali reached over and playfully socked his brother in the arm. Azarand's response was to swat Ali's homburg hat off his head.

"How about we head back." Azarand said.

"Where?" Leo asked.

"To the park nearby." Azarand replied to Leo's question.

With that the three of them began walking towards the park where the morning battle between Leo and the Magna Defender had taken place.

* * *

The Magna Defender was walking towards the mountain dome, when he heard himself being called.

"Magna Defender." Leo said.

The Magna Defender turned to face Leo, he rested his gloved hand on his saber's hilt in a non threatening manner. "What do you want?" He asked coldly. He had a feeling of what the ranger was going to say, and frankly he didn't want or need to be thanked.

The ranger walked towards him, stopping just a few paces away from his body. " I didn't get a chance to say thank you."

The Magna Defender sighed in frustration. The ranger would never learn. "Don't thank me; I wasn't there to help you. I was only there to destroy one of Scorpius' monsters." He brushed past the red ranger, his back facing the man he nearly destroyed that morning. "Which is my own business." He said, and he meant it. The ranger would never know the real reason behind his vow to destroy Chillyfish. Those two young boys.

"But you saved the whole colony." The ranger said to his back.

His frustration grew, couldn't the ranger get it through his thick head that he wasn't a good person. "You want so badly to believe that there is goodness inside of me? Stop believing-My heart died when Scorpius took my son from me. Only darkness remains." His left hand went up to touch the turquoise crystal centered on his chest, while his right hand clenched into a fist. He began to walk away from the ranger, having heard more than enough from the idealistic fool.

"No one could live in total darkness, not even you!" He heard the ranger shout to him as he walked away.

He thought while that would've been true, just recently it had all begun to change. Those two boys had sparked something deep within his soul. If they truly were the two younglings from his memories, which, based on the experience he had with them in the mountain dome, he was certain they were, then not all of his family was dead. However, he'd been wrong before.

His thoughts as well as his walking were stopped dead in its tracks. Standing directly in front of him, the two young men that took up so much of his thoughts. They stood in a relaxed state, no tension oozed off of their frames, and they were in no defensive stances. They simply stared at him, and the Magna Defender stared back. He marveled at the color of their eyes, one sky blue, and the other, forest green. They looked much like him when he was younger, well from what he could remember.

Slowly he noticed a small smile form on the face of the brown haired one, the red head followed suit. Both simultaneously tipped their hats towards him, a gesture he knew very well. He gave them a slight nod in return. A sign of mutual respect and understanding, at least on Taurus. Both walked forward, towards him, their eyes never leaving his, until they walked past him, back toward where he had a run in with the red ranger mere moments earlier.

He turned his head slightly to catch a glance of the two men walking further away from him. Once they had disappeared over a rise he continued on his way.

Deep within his soul, his dark heart began to crack, bright white light shining through.

 **Well that was a dozy! We finally have the inevitable confrontation between Ali/Azarand and Magna Defender. Will there be more? Stay tuned and find out! I decided to go with a slow burn regarding the true relationship between Ali/Azarand and Magna Defender, hope you all enjoy!**

 **LittleP**


	13. Freedom (Orion Rising)

Chapter 13: Freedom (Orion Rising)

Leo and Kendrix were in the common quarters, readying themselves for Damon's upcoming birthday. Leo was wrapping presents as Kendrix made the birthday cake.

"Damon's going to be so surprised; he thought we all forgot his birthday." Kendrix said to Leo as she finished spreading icing on the cake.

Leo walked over and took one look at the delicious cake and was sold. He moved his hand in for a taste, but it was suddenly slapped away by Kendrix.

"Don't even think about it!" Kendrix sternly told Leo. She put the cake away in a cupboard before they left. "Okay, let's go." She told Leo.

The pair walked out of the quarters to get some chores done. Mainly, Kendrix was going to the observatory to visit Ali. Leo was headed out to look after the white horse that'd served him well in the conflict with Chillyfish.

* * *

Leo arrived at the stables, where he was met by Maya.

"Hey Leo, he's been restless all night. I think he wants to see you." Maya told him.

Leo smiled at Maya and looked behind her. The white horse was standing still and staring directly at him. Leo slowly walked forward and put his hand out towards the horse. The horse moved forward without hesitation and nuzzled his large face against Leo's hand. Leo's already present smile grew larger. He had made a new friend.

* * *

Kendrix drove up to the large rounded white building. The roof of the observatory was opened to reveal a large telescopic lens. Kendrix walked up to the heavy metal door and gave a hard knock. Within seconds the door began to slowly swing open revealing the individual standing behind it, Ali.

"Why hello there Kendrix." Ali said, smiling to the pink ranger.

"Hello Ali. I see the roof's open." Kendrix told the young astronomer standing before her.

Ali simply opened the door further and invited Kendrix in. He wasn't wearing his customary suit jacket and homburg hat; rather he was wearing a simple dark blue undershirt with a red tie. As Kendrix walked in she focused on the large telescope that took up nearly the entire building.

"I'm doing a daylight exposure. I want to compare the quality of shots between night and day." Ali answered her silent question.

"Ali I came here not to ask you a science question." Kendrix told the young man she trusted the truth. He was her protector, their protector. Azarand and Ali would put their lives in harm's way to protect them, if she trusted them with her life; she would trust him not to tell anyone about her true reason.

"Oh?" Ali said, his eyebrows arching upward in slight confusion.

" I need to know where the Lights of Orion are." Kendrix deadpanned the statement at Ali.

Ali for his part remained outwardly composed, however, inside he was quickly becoming a jumbled mess of confusion, surprise, and even fear.

 _How could she know? How much does she know?_ The questions repeated in his mind like a broken record player.

Ali considered he could try to sneak his way out or perhaps downright lie. But the notion of lying to any ranger made him feel terrible. Before he took this mission, he told himself he would be truthful and honest, even if the truth hurt. He'd learned that the hard way when Zordon and Rex decided to keep their father's true identity a secret.

"I'm sorry Kendrix but I cannot reveal that kind of information." He told her bluntly.

"Why not? As a ranger, I have to know where those lights are. They could be the key to defeating Scorpius." Kendrix said, aggravated she didn't get the answer she was hoping for.

"Because telling you would jeporadize your safety and that of your fellow rangers. Not to mention that Scorpius is also actively looking for the lights. If I were to tell you, there is a possibility that he may catch wind. And we both know what would happen. So for now, that particular knowledge is for my ears only." Ali told her sternly. He needed Kendrix to understand his reasoning.

"Okay." Kendrix said resignedly. She said her goodbyes and left the observatory.

* * *

After Kendrix had left, Ali stood staring out the open roof up into the partly cloudy sky. He racked his mind trying to figure out why Kendrix would ask him such a question.

He decided to try to get some answers. Walking over to his desk, he took out a small silver communicator. Clicking the button on its side, he waited to be patched through.

"Ah young Ali. I was wondering when I would speak to you again." Zordon's voice came from the other side.

"Good morning Zordon. I have a question to ask you." Ali got straight to the point.

"What question do you have young one?" Zordon asked the young cleric.

" Kendrix Morgan just asked me about the lights. She knows I know where they are. What am I to do? What if the others find out and begin to ask questions?" Ali virtually pleaded with Zordon for guidance.

"Ali, just keep doing what you've always done. Be honest. You are their protector; they need to be able to trust you because you very well may hold their lives in your hand. Being a cleric is a great responsibility, you are one of the very few individuals in the entire universe I've entrusted with such responsibility. They may have questions, but for their safety, some of those questions cannot be answered in full. As Rex always told me, a good cleric is one who speaks the truth, but, as he says, doesn't let their big mouth get too loose. " Zordon gave a small chuckle at the last sentence.

Ali no longer felt nervous. In fact a smile had formed on his face. "Thanks Z, I needed it."

Zordon laughed at the nickname Ali had given him. "No problem youngling. However, a new development has come up. One of Scorpius' monsters, Destructo, has come down to Terra Venture's surface. I have no idea what he's planning."

"Easy peasy lemon squeezy." Ali said as he was putting him suit jacket and hat on. He double checked his revolvers and knives to make sure he was prepared for a fight.

"You must exercise extreme caution. Destructo is a monster the likes of which you've never seen before. He is extremely powerful. In the past he's taken on clerics and very nearly destroyed them. You mustn't be overconfident or else you may face dire consequences." Zordon told Ali seriously. The cleric nodded in response.

"I will be careful Zordon. You can count on it." Ali told Zordon with confidence in his voice.

"I always knew I could count on you." Zordon said before the line went dead.

Ali finished gathering his things and left the observatory, heading in the direction of the city, and Destructo.

* * *

The Magna Defender was in his usual spot, the mountain dome. Recently his thoughts were focusing more on those two boys. Ever more so after he had fought with them nearly two weeks ago, those two weeks had been insightful to say the least. He experienced further flashbacks which only served to feed his growing curiosity, an alien feeling when for the last 3,000 years he'd felt nothing but hatred and anger.

He remembered one such flashback in great detail.

 _Flashback_

 _Two young children played outside. Their father busy tending to the small backyard garden._

" _Dad want to come play tag with us?" The young tot asked his father._

" _Sure Azarand, I will play with you and Ali." The father responded, he quickly joined the game. Soon all three were panting and laughing hysterically._

 _End Flashback_

The Magna Defender strongly believed that Ali and Azarand were the same two young boys he'd encountered recently. The idea that he had tried to suppress for months blossomed again in his soul. However, he was quick to crush it, he needed to focus on the now, not the future.

Destructo had come down to the space station. His previous experiences with the monster were violent and he knew this time would be no different. He strongly suspected that Destructo had a plan to draw the elusive Lights of Orion out from hiding. He needed to be there to stop him and gain control of the lights himself. There was no doubt in his mind that both the rangers and the two young men would make an appearance. They didn't know just how powerful Destructo was, and that would put them in potential danger. The thought of the rangers being in danger didn't faze him; they were a foolish bunch of idealistic people. The two young men shouldn't have mattered to him. But for some reason, whenever he thought about the possibility of them falling victim to Destructo, he was filled with uneasiness.

With uneasiness flowing through his body, the Magna Defender stepped away from the edge of the cliff. He had a monster to deal with.

* * *

In the city center, Destructo and his stingwinger minons were moving the force field device into position.

"Yes, excellent. No one will think to look here for the source of my force field! It will be impossible to stop me from finding the Lights of Orion for Scorpius now." Destructo said the sentence with glee. Turning to the device, he gave the command. "Force fields activate!"

The device began to glow, and then it shot a yellow beam of light into the sky. The beam spread out in a web like pattern before disappearing.

"The force field is activated. Soon Terra Venture will fail. And I will have the lights!" Destructo's voice was filled with excitement.

* * *

Ali and Azarand were both in the city. They were meeting up at their favorite place to eat. Ali knew that his brother knew about the incident with him and Kendrix. Major developments like that wouldn't go unsaid. As he rounded the corner, Ali saw his brother just beginning to sit down on a bench. Ali jogged over to him.

" Az, nice to see you here. You got the message about Destructo?" Ali asked his brother who was still sitting down.

" Yes I did. Now, if we….." Azarand cut his sentence short. Both brothers noticed yellow rays of light crisscrossing the sky. They beams formed a web like pattern before dissipating.

Azarand turned to stare at Ali, who stared back.

"Uh oh." Both brothers said. They knew they were on borrowed time.

They ran as fast as they could, but the city was large. Searching through every nook and cranny would take way too much time.

"Wait! We need to stop running." Azarand said panting heavily.

"Why?" Ali asked breathless.

"Because, what if the force field created an actual barrier around the city. That would mean only a finite amount of oxygen." Azarand told his brother.

Ali snapped his finger. "That's a good point. Okay, we walk. But we have to keep moving." He said, both brothers continuing their search.

* * *

Kendrix and Maya were getting back from buying groceries when they ran into a wall, literally. They were at first flabbergasted when no sign of a barrier presented itself. Rather the wall seemed invisible and indistinguishable from the surrounding environment.

Maya turned to look back at Kendrix who was standing behind her.

"Scorpius." They both said and ran off in search of the inevitable trouble the monster brought with him.

They found Destructo after they'd run just a few hundread feet. Both rangers hid behind the wall of an adjacent building.

"We've got to morph. Now." Kendrix said with Maya nodding in confirmation.

"Go Galactic!" Both said as they morphed.

With their morphs complete, both stepped out from behind the building.

"Excuse me." Maya said nonchalantly.

"Huh?" Destructo said turning around to face the rangers.

"If you're looking for trouble you found it." Maya said with confidence as she put her hands on her hips.

"How did you two pests get inside the force field?" Destructo asked, clearly not happy with this recent development.

"You think you could keep us out? You're wrong!" Kendrix chimed in.

"Yea!" Maya nodded her helmeted head.

Destructo had had enough." Attack! And destroy!" He told his stingwinger minions.

The group of stingwingers rushed towards the two rangers, who were quickly engaged in combat.

Both Kendrix and Maya made easy work of the stingwingers. They set their sights on Destructo.

As they ran to Destructo, the monster seated himself cross legged on the grass.

"Ready?" Maya asked Kendrix.

"Ready." Kendrix replied.

Destructo laughed. "You two happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Wrong again!" Maya pointed towards the monster.

"Quasar Sabers!" Both rangers drew their sabers and charged towards the monster.

Maya and Kendrix powered up their sabers, intending to destroy Destructo here and now. But the monster caught their sabers effortlessly.

"You'll have to do a lot better than that." Destructo laughed.

He pushed both rangers away and stood up. "Now, I'll show you how it's really done." He drew his katana and proceeded to advance towards Kendrix and Maya, who held their ground.

Suddenly the pair heard the sound of motorbike engines. Looking to their right, they saw a sight that made them weak to their knees.

Leo, Damon, and Kai were on their Astro Cycles, and headed straight towards them. The trio fired the bike's lasers at Destructo, but the lasers impacted an invisible wall before they reached their target.

"It's a fore field!" Leo shouted as he stopped his bike with a screech.

Maya and Kendrix realized that they would have no backup in this fight.

"Let's do it!" Kendrix said as she and Maya began charging towards Destructo.

Destructo slashed and stabbed at them, sparks and smokes going everywhere. The two rangers soon ended up on the ground.

"Leo." Kendrix groaned as she feebly reached up towards the helpless red ranger.

Leo, Damon, and Kai banged on the invisible force field wall. "We've got to get in and help them!" Leo said.

"Yeah. But how?" Damon asked the red ranger.

Kai grabbed Leo's arm. "Let's try to go under the force field." He said.

"Good idea." Leo said as the three went off in search of an entrance that would lead them underneath.

After he saw the rangers retreat, Destructo turned his attention to the two that were lying in front of him.

"What's the matter rangers? Out of breath?" Destructo mocked the two rangers as they got shakily to their feet.

The two rangers suddenly began coughing for air.

"I can barely breathe." Kendrix said with a hand on her throat.

"You may've gotten in, but you won't get out. At least not until the air runs out." Destructo told the pair.

All around them, citizens of Terra Venture slowly sank to the ground, coughing or gasping for air.

"You're pathetic rangers. Give up now." Destructo said as he began to advance with his katana pointed at the rangers.

Kendrix and Maya slowly began to back away one step at a time.

"We've got to save the colony. We're gonna have to deal with him later." Kendrix put her hand on Maya's shoulder.

Maya angrily shook it off. "No! I'm dealing with him now!" She charged towards Destructo, who blocked her slash and caught her with his own. Maya fell to the ground.

"Maya!" Kendrix said as she ran forward to aid Maya. Noticing the Destructo was still advancing, Kendrix used her beta bow and shot around her, the smoke providing cover for her and Maya to slip away.

* * *

Kendrix and Maya were hidden in the stairway of a building off of the plaza where they'd just fought. Looking over at Maya, Kendrix noticed that the woman had a cut on her face. Retrieving a napkin, Kendrix attempted to wipe away the blood, but her hand was slapped away.

"Maya, I was just trying to help." Kendrix pleaded with the yellow ranger, who was still upset.

"Help? You could've helped me fight that monster instead of retreat." Maya said as she began to walk away.

"Maya wait!" Kendrix yelled, but Maya's steps didn't falter, and she soon disappeared behind a maze of buildings.

"Give her time." Kendrix heard a voice say. Startled she turned around and was met with the face of Ali.

"Ali? What are you doing here?" Kendrix asked the cleric.

"I was in the city when Destructo put the fore field over it. I along with Azarand am trying to find a way out. Needless to say, we've been unsuccessful so far." Ali told Kendrix.

"Where's Azarand now?" Kendrix asked.

"Az is following Maya, to make sure she doesn't run into any trouble." Ali replied.

"Do you think there's a way to stop it?" Kendrix asked Ali.

"The force field?" He said. Seeing Kendrix nod he continued. " I do think there is a way to rid Terra Venture of this bubble."

"How?" Kendrix asked. She needed to get rid on this force field or else people would start to die.

"Simple. There's got to be a source of origin. If you destroy that, you may destroy the force field. Az and I have been searching, but no luck yet." Ali snapped the fingers in his right hand in frustration.

Kendrix's eyes widened. "Ali, that's brilliant!"

Ali smiled at her.

"What about the lights?" Kendrix asked the cleric, still wanting a clear answer from their morning interaction.

Ali's face took on a stoic appearance. "Kendrix, you know I cannot tell you that. And besides, you should be focusing on saving the colony by destroying the source."

Kendrix closed her eyes for a second and nodded her head. She would put her questions aside for later. Right now, the colony needed her.

"I need to find Maya so we can find this force field and destroy it." Kendrix said with confidence and a renewed sense of vigor.

Ali stepped towards her and gave her a slight pat on the back. "That's the spirit. I will go find Az and we will search as well. Stay in contact!" Ali yelled as he ran away from Kendrix.

Kendrix had a renewed sense of mission. She ran off in search of her close friend.

* * *

Maya found herself in the shopping district of the city. Everywhere she looked, store windows were filled with clothing or delectable sweets.

She faced towards the windows, looking at all the different items contained within them. Unbeknownst to Maya, stingwingers had been following her. They slowly advanced on her location and were ready to strike. Azarand had stopped tracking Maya after Ali had asked to meet up with him. That left Maya all alone and now it posed a real threat.

Maya sensed a presence behind her. Turning around she was greeted by stingwingers ready to attack. She jolted back in shock and disbelief. Suddenly, Kendrix appeared out of nowhere and began to attack the stingwingers.

After taking care of Scorpius' minions, Kendrix grabbed Maya by the arm and led her away. The pair ran to a building and hid behind its pillars.

"Thanks for saving me." Maya told Kendrix.

"No problem." Kendrix said, still looking to see if they had been followed.

"I really am sorry for yelling at you earlier." Maya told Kendrix sincerely.

This time Kendrix turned around to face Maya. "It's okay. We're still friends; we all get caught up in the moment sometimes."

Maya smiled. "Thanks Kendrix."

Kendrix smiled back. "You're welcome. Now let's find the source of this force field. "

* * *

Ali and Azarand were close, they could sense it.

They were walking slowly behind a building, both checking their weapons to make sure they were ready for a fight. As they came out from behind the wall, they saw a group of stingwingers surrounding an object. Not wanting to blow their cover, the pair ducked back behind the wall and peaked their heads out.

"Is that it?" Ali asked, turning his head towards his brother.

"I think so." Azarand replied, nodding simultaneously.

Suddenly they felt a slight shock go through the ground. Past a line of trees, they noticed gold colored beads of light shooting up into the sky.

"Crap, he's hit paydirt." Ali said.

Azarand merely nodded and began to walk in the direction of the sparkling lights.

Ali's hand shot out and grabbed his forearm. "Wait, what about this?" He said, pointing to the source of the force field.

"We have the lights to look after. Kendrix and Maya will deal with this." Azarand said, shrugging off his brother's arm as he once again began walking away.

Ali sighed but followed behind his brother.

* * *

Kendrix and Maya were walking past numerous buildings and were about to come out into a small plaza when a group of stingwingers had them diving for cover. They peaked out from behind a pillar and noticed a group of stingwingers surrounding a clear object.

"It's part of the force must be the source." Kendrix said, Maya nodding her head.

Suddenly the stingwingers left the area. Seeing an opening the two rangers began to head towards the generator, intent on destroying it. They were stopped in their paths by a strange sound.

* * *

Leo, Damon, and Kai had tried and failed to go underneath the forcefield. As they came out of the underground tunnel they were greeted by a familiar individual standing in front of them.

"Magna Defender?" Leo said, confused as to what the warrior was doing.

The Magna Defender turned towards the ranger. "I was wondering when you'd show up to annoy me."

Suddenly Leo and the others heard a roar.

"Torozord charge!" The Magna Defender told his zord who slowly advanced.

"What are you doing? You can't just crack it open like an egg, there's too much energy." Leo said, furious that the defender was acting so carelessly.

"Save your breath, red ranger." The Magna Defender told Leo.

"Torozord advance!" The Magna Defender ordered. "Magna Defender transform." Beams of red light shot from Torozord's eyes and soon the Magna Defender had grown to be many stories tall.

Below, Leo, Damon, and Kai looked up at the gargantuan warrior as he transformed into the Defender Torozord.

The zord began to slash at the force field with his staff. The blows sending shockwaves throughout the city, the ground rocked and quaked violently.

* * *

Ali and Azarand were walking towards the park where they'd seen the glowing beads falling like rain in a storm. They knew the lights would soon reveal themselves, and they needed to ensure that the Lights of Orion didn't fall into the wrong hands.

Suddenly a huge jolt went through the city, and then another, and another. Visible shockwaves could be seen crisscrossing the force field above them. Looking around, Ali was startled to see the cause.

"Good god." He said which caught Azarand's attention. Azarand turned to look where his brother was and saw the Defender Torozord using his staff in an attempt to break the force field.

"You would think that a father like ours would have the brains to know the consequences of what he's doing." Azarand quipped, Ali laughed despite the situation.

"Indeed." Ali said.

* * *

Kendrix and Maya were standing directly below the Defender Torozord.

"What is he doing? The ship will be ripped apart!" Kendrix told Maya.

* * *

Leo had finally had enough. He needed to put an end to this. "We've got to stop him." He said, looking at both Kai and Damon, who nodded.

"Go Galactic!" All three said, morphing at the same time. They soon were joined by their galactabeasts, and began pushing their attack of the Defender Torozord. Even with their 3 to 1 odds, they found themselves outmatched by the rouge warrior.

Leo was gearing up to deliver a blow he hoped would end the fight. "Firepower!" The shouted, his galactabeast spit out a stream of fire that was sent careening towards the Defender Torozord. When the shot impacted, it produced a large amount of light and sound. But through the smoke, Leo could see the shot had done little to deter the Magna Defender.

"It didn't even faze him." Leo said to himself, stunned.

The Defender Torozord leveled his staff towards Leo, and slowly began to advance towards him.

However, the mighty zord stopped in mid step and dropped his staff. Defender Torozord began to clutch his chest as if in pain.

"Huh?" The sight before Leo was confusing to say the least.

Soon the entire zord reversed its transformation. The Magna Defender was left kneeling in a part, his hand clutching his chest in what looked like unbearable pain.

"What's happening to me?" The Magna Defender groaned his voice horse with pain.

"Something's wrong." Leo said as he, Kai, and Damon dismounted their galactabeasts and ran towards the stricken defender.

"Magna Defender, are you alright?" Leo asked the downed warrior.

The Magna Defender stumbled to his feet and began to stagger away from them. "Leave me alone!" He roared, but the pain in his voice was unmistakable to miss. In an instant the Magna Defender had leapt away, leaving the rangers by themselves.

"What was that all about?" Kai asked Leo.

"I don't know but it looked like he needed some help." Damon said.

* * *

Now that the blows to the force field had stopped, Kendrix and Maya could focus on their mission, destroying the generator.

"Now's our chance." Maya told Kendrix, the pair began to run towards the source. However, their path was soon blocked by Destructo.

"Let me guess, you missed me?" The monster mocked.

Maya nodded. "Ready?"

"Let's do it." Kendrix replied.

The two began running towards Destructo, morphing at the same time, and drawing their transdaggers. As they reached the monster they both swung their blades downward but their shots were blocked by Destructo's katana. The pair flipped up and over the monster. Kendrix drew her Beta bow and shot around the monster, veiling him in smoke.

They continued to press their attack. Soon, however, Destructo began getting strikes in on them. One particular strike sent the pair flying into the invisible force field wall, their bodies bounding off of the barrier with a thud.

"Don't you two realize you don't stand a chance of beating me?" Destructo said as he faced the two rangers.

"Alone maybe not. But together we make a pretty awesome team." Maya said with pride and confidence.

"I doubt it." Destructo said in response.

"Are you ready to go?" Maya asked Kendrix. "You got it." Kendrix replied as she took her position behind Maya.

The two rangers charged towards Destructo with their sabers and transdaggers drawn. Destructo merely laughed as the two rangers came ever closer. Kendrix and Maya leapt into the air when they were less than 5 feet away from the monster.

Maya's blades were blocked by Destructo but her distraction allowed Kendrix to get a strike on the monster. Destructo was thrown a good distance away by the blow.

"Good. Time to destroy the force field." Maya told Kendrix. The yellow ranger powered up her saber and brought it down on the generator, destroying it.

* * *

Ali and Azarand were hiding behind some plants in the park. Before them stood Destructo's staff, the gold colored beads pouring out of the object. Ali and Azarand planned to destroy the staff, but they found a group of stingwingers was standing in their way.

"How are we going to get around that?" Azarand asked his brother.

Ali took a long look at the group of stingwingers. "You still got your flash?" Azarand nodded his head in confirmation.

Azarand removed the flash bang from his coat.

Ali gave the warning."On my count. Three. Two. One" Azarand pulled the pin and threw the cylindrical grenade. It landed near a stingwinger then went off. The bang was startling and the flash of light blinding.

Ali and Azarand both squeezed their eyes shut and covered their ears, but they still were affected by the blast.

In the intervening chaos allowed Ali and Azarand to advance from their hiding positions and engage the stingwingers. Azarand super kicked the first one he saw, then whipped around and dropped another with a roundhouse kick to the temple. Ali grabbed one by the throat and twirled the stingwinger around in a circle before slamming the helpless enemy on the ground. He then uppercut a stingwinger that looked to attack his backside, the stingwinger staggered before Ali wrapped his arms around its shoulders and between its legs. He finished off the opponent with a viscous scoop slam on the hard ground.

With the stingwingers taken care of, Ali and Azarand had an open path to Destructo's staff.

Both moved cautiously towards the staff. Each had no idea what to expect. Suddenly, as they were within a finger's reach, the ground began to shake ominously.

Suddenly, the golden pearls of lights suddenly accelerated into a steady beam that shot into the sky. The sky darkened considerably.

"What the hell is going on!?" Ali shouted through the roar of the winds, holding onto his hat for dear life.

"I don't know! Maybe the lights are going to finally come out!" Azarand replied, his flat cap having long since blown away.

The Lights of Orion slowly ascended from the staff up into the sky.

"The lights are free!" Azarand shouted as he tried to run feebly jump and reach them.

Ali's arms wound around his body. "Az don't! The lights are free, keep them that way! They haven't fallen into Scorpius' clutches!"

Azarand solemnly nodded and remained on firm ground.

Soon the Lights of Orion began to move up and away from the city. Within moments they had exited Terra Venture's atmospheric bubble and began travelling through space.

Both Ali and Azarand sighed in relief, however temporary it was.

* * *

Maya and Kendrix had finally regrouped with the others, the force field no longer separating them. Together, they attempted to destroy Destructo with their Quasar Launchers but the monster didn't waiver.

"Don't you get it? I'm indestructible!" Destructo said as he advanced on their position.

Suddenly they were interrupted by the ground shaking violently. Within mere seconds, the Lights of Orion had appeared and had stalled over their heads.

"They are magnificent." Destructo said in awe as he stared at the lights. The lights began to move away from them, heading closer and closer towards the edge of the atmospheric bubble.

"Wait! What's happening!?" Destructo said as he began to give chase.

"The lights are moving away." Maya said.

"We have to follow them. Let's go!" Leo said as he and the other rangers also gave chase.

In front of them Destructo stood and watched as the lights penetrated the bubble and moved out into interstellar space. "Where are you going? Wait!" He shouted furiously.

Behind him the rangers stood, transfixed at the sight of the lights as they left. "Oh no, they've left Terra Venture." Maya said.

Destructo turned around to face his foes. "If it weren't for you I would have the lights by now. I'll find them again and you'll pay dearly!" With that he transported away.

"Not if we get to them first." Damon said.

* * *

The Magna Defender was kneeling on a small hillside. The enormous pain in his chest had abated but he was still racked with infrequent spasms of pain.

This was the first time something like this had happened to him. He needed to know what was causing it, because if it had occurred battling one of Scorpius' minions then the consequences could be severe.

He remembered what he'd been thinking right before the incident began. He was focused on nothing but destroying the rangers that were getting in his way. Despite recent revelations, regarding the two boys, Ali and Azarand, and the unnamed emotions and feelings they caused him, he was still very much a vengeful being. He needed to be for Zika's sake.

His thoughts were interrupted by the lights themselves appearing. Now was his chance! He reached out with his right hand and called for the lights. "Lights of Orion come to me." He said weakly. But the lights would not obey their former protector and moved away from him and eventually left Terra Venture all together.

Rage flared within him, he was so close, yet so far! But that rage was extinguished by the thoughts of Zika. He needed these lights to avenge Zika, he needed the lights to make up for all the years of hardship and loss.

The two faces of Ali and Azarand popped into his head. He realized that they were also in the hunt for the lights. Although from what he'd seen, their mission was wholly different from his or that of the rangers and Scorpius. He needed answers, answers only they could provide, and he would get those answers.

For now he could only wait.

* * *

The rangers we unwinding after an eventful day. Damon's birthday party was going to begin in mere minutes. It was a surprise birthday party, with Leo taking Damon out and about before bringing him back.

Around five minutes before Damon was set to arrive, Ali and Azarand showed up, both had presents.

"Hey guys." Kai greeted the pair as they walked in the door. As usual they were wearing suits. Ali black and Azarand tan.

"What's up rangers." Azarand replied.

"Hey Ali, hi Azarand." Kendrix said.

"Nice of you two to make it for Damon, he's going to be so excited!" Maya said, giddy. This was her first birthday party. The custom was not practiced on Miranoi.

"He's coming!" Kai whispered and shut the lights off, the room was bathed in darkness.

The door swung open, Damon standing in the doorway. His back lit by the hallway lights.

The lights came on. "SURPRISE!" They all shouted.

For now they would celebrate and have fun. But everyone knew the near future would be a struggle. One they had to win.


	14. A Nightmare Incarnate (Orion Returns)

Chapter 14: A Nightmare Incarnate (Orion Returns)

 **Chapter contains blood and violence.**

 **LittleP**

Ali and Azarand were slumbering lightly. Ever since the lights had been freed two days ago, they were constantly on edge. They were both suddenly awoken by sharp headaches. The pain lanced through their heads, a dull throb left behind. Both sat up in their beds and moved out into the living room.

"I see you're up." Ali slurred at his brother.

Azarand looked towards Ali, hair disheveled, and was silent. It took him a few seconds to respond. "Yeah, bad headache."

Ali stilled. "Headache? I woke up because I had a terrible headache. "

Azarand stared like a fish. "Coincidence?" He said simply.

"Not in the slightest." Ali replied.

* * *

Maya lay in her bed, she was unusually restless, the dream she'd just had disturbed her.

In her dream, Destructo had captured the Lights of Orion and used them to wreak havoc on Terra Venture. Maya needed to tell the others; even if it was just a dream she didn't know if it would become something more.

Getting up out from under the covers, Maya walked over to Kendrix, who was sleeping soundly. Maya shook her awake; Kendrix stared back at her with tired eyes.

"What is it?" Kendrix whispered to Maya.

"Come on." Maya said simply as she began walking towards the front door, Kendrix following behind her.

Maya and Kendrix proceeded to the men's quarters. Maya using the door chime to let the guys know that she was there.

Kai answered the door. "What's up?" He asked sleepily.

"I had a dream." Maya told him.

Damon yawned behind Kai, the man still in his bed. "I had a dream to, until someone woke me up." He said in annoyance before rolling over away from the intruders.

"Dream? What dream?" Leo rose from his cot.

Maya walked over to the large bay window in the room, the darkness of interstellar space spreading out beyond the reinforced plexiglass.

"There!" She said, pointing out the window. Almost immediately after she spoke, a bright light permeated the room, the rangers shielding their eyes from the yellow glare.

The Lights of Orion moved past the window, the light fading from the room as they got further away.

"The Lights of Orion are back." Maya said, a small smile on her face. If the lights were back, they had a chance to get to them before Destructo.

"Come on!" Leo said as he ran from the room, the other rangers following close behind.

* * *

Leo and the other rangers had activated the Astro Megaship and were currently pursuing the lights.

"There, right in front of us." Maya said as the ship locked onto the lights.

"I've got a lock on them." Kendrix said.

"Don't let them get away!" Leo shouted, suddenly the ship was rocked by multiple impacts.

The Scorpian Stinger rounded on the ship and fired again.

"The lights! We're losing them!" Kendrix said in a panic.

"The jammers!" Leo said in sudden insight.

With that the rangers morphed and headed to their jammers. Opening the portal into space, the rangers blasted toward the Scorpian Stinger. They flew underneath the hulking metal beheamoth and moved far out into clear space trailing the lights. Sure enough, stingwingers were immediately sent out to intercept them, the bugs gaining on their tails.

"Uh oh, stingwingers!" Maya said as she looked at her radar screen, the instrument clearly showing the pings of approaching stingwingers.

"Go Leo, we'll hold them off!" Kai told the red ranger.

"Okay!" Leo said as he pulled away from the ground, pursuing the lights by himself.

The stingwingers began blasting at the rangers, who instantly broke formation and began to fire back.

As Damon was turning around in his jammer, having just destroyed a pair of stingwingers, one such bug was able to come up on his rear. The stingwinger latched onto the back of his jammer and wrapped its claws around Damon's neck. Damon took his hands off his controls to attempt to pry away the pressing extremities. With his hands off his controls, his jet jammer began to spin wildly out of control.

" I need a little help here somebody!" Damon shouted in a panic.

He saw Leo's jet jammer appear in front of him, the red distorated by the dizzying spin.

"Damon! Duck!" He heard Leo shout.

Damon didn't know what Leo was going to do, but he was not going to risk anything. He immediately ducked his head.

In front of him Leo fired a rocket towards Damon, the projectile impacting the stingwinger, promptly throwing the enemy off and away from the green ranger.

"That's the end of them." Maya said.

"The lights are headed towards Terra Venture, let's go!" Leo told the others, the rangers formed up and collectively began to head back to the space station.

* * *

The lights found their way back to Terra Venture. And coincidently, flew past Ali and Azarand, who were leisurely strolling around the city. They knew the lights would come back, the rangers were too much of a draw, all they had to do was wait.

The lights flew past their heads, both had to do a double take before they both began to run after it.

"Well that was nice!" Azarand shouted as he ran.

"Yeah, very convenient!" Ali replied, panting between words.

The pair chased the lights through the city, their journey spread to a nature preserve just outside the city limits. A concrete path stretched out in front of them, the lights travelling above the trees, away from them.

Ali and Azarand continued into the tree lined path, following the lights, hoping that they hadn't been spotted.

They were quickly proven wrong.

As they were running, they both heard rustling in the brush beside them. Ali stopped and faced the sound as his brother continued to give chase to the lights.

Suddenly Ali was blasted at from his front, the shots impacting the trees behind him, wooden splinters flying in every direction. Azarand came running back towards his brother, who was crouched low to the ground yet appeared uninjured.

Destructo stepped out from the bushes.

"Ahh, the two big thorns in my side." Destructo said as he stepped towards them. Ali stood up, and beside his brother, the two held their ground.

"What do you want red?" Ali mocked the monster's color.

Destructo stopped a few feet from the two. "I'm not here to destroy you, at least not yet!" The monster laughed manically. "No, I'm here to warn you, do not get in my way." The monster said menacingly.

Ali moved his suit jacket aside to reveal his two revolvers. "Oh we're more than ready." He said confidently.

Destructo decided not to wait. He drew his katana and slashed at Ali. The blade caught the man in the face, a small slash across his cheek. Ali stumbled away from blade, Azarand reacted instantly.

He drew his Ka Bar knife perried the thurst of Destructo's katana. However, the contact with the larger blade caused his relatively small knife to be thrown from his grip. Azarand knew he couldn't draw his revolver at such close range; it would leave him open to attack. Instead he used his body. Ducking his head and shoulders down, he charged at Destructo and caught the monster in the midsection. The force of Azarand's body impacting the monster caused both to stumble back, but that was all that was needed. Ali had recovered and delivered a head spinning upper cut to Destructo's jaw, the loud slap of his knuckles connecting with the monster's face seemed to echo through the trees. Destructo stumbled back further from the blow, giving Azarand a chance to land a strong kick to the monster's chest. Destructo flew back a number of feet. Both Ali and Azarand refused to move closer to the monster, they would finish this at another time. At least they hoped so.

Destructo had the same line of thinking. He stood shakily to his feet and sheathed his katana. "You haven't seen the last of me! I will get the power of the lights and you two will rue the day you were born!" He said before teleporting away.

Azarand looked over to his brother, a trickle of blood flowing down his cheek. "You okay Al?"

Ali nodded. "Yeah, just surprised was all. Now, should we get back to the chase?"

"Sure." Azarand said, and the two soon resumed their pursuit of the lights.

* * *

Destructo continued on his way, chasing the lights. He'd transported away from the fight with those two pests when it was clear that he wouldn't catch the lights if he stuck around. Now he was free from their presence, he could now resume his pursuit of the Lights of Orion.

He had been ordered by Trecheron to bring him the lights, and so he would. As he passed through a grove of trees, he came upon a clearing. Above the clearing the lights blazed away in their bright glory, stationary in mid air. All around him the wind howled, making clear the power contained within the lights.

"They're nearly in my grasp." Destructo said as he neared the sought after prize.

* * *

Behind Destructo, the rangers were just a few steps from the monster.

"We have to stop him before he gets to the lights!" Leo said. "Magna talon!" He drew the small curved blade and jumped into the air. He fell back to the earth and clashed with Destructo. Sword on sword, while Leo knew he wouldn't win, he had to stall, the fate of Terra Venture depended on him.

Ali and Azarand were running as fast as they could. They knew that while Destructo had vanished, he had not left the station, not with the lights still on Terra Venture.

And it was that logic that pushed them to run at their limits, they knew the rangers were off world, and that left them and the Magna Defender as the only individuals who could bring the fight to Scorpius. Even then, the Magna Defender was not their ally, so they narrowed the capable individuals down to themselves.

Now they were chasing after the lights. In the distance they saw the lights were now stationary above the treetops, yet they were a fair distance away. They hoped they would get there in time.

* * *

The Magna Defender stood on a hilltop overlooking the city. In the distance to his front shone the Lights of Orion. The awe inspiring source of power hovered motionless above the ground.

He had been weak after the incident involving the Defender Torozord. He still didn't know where such immense pain had come from, and that angered him. Perhaps when he got his hands on the lights, the pain would subside. He would get the lights, no matter who stood in his way.

"The Lights of Orion are my only chance to destroy Scorpius." He said aloud, realizing that the his current abilities would not be enough to destroy the monster his sights had been set on for the past 3,000 years.

Suddenly a sharp and sudden pain in his chest forced him to his knees. Hand clutching his chest, the Magna Defender groaned and moaned at the overwhelming pain that was coming from his heart. The pain seemed to wrap around his body, spreading from his chest to his back, then to his arms, down his torso and into his legs. It was all encompassing, it was nearly too much for him to handle.

"Oh, oh no, not again." The Magna Defender said, groaning as he spoke. He recognized that the pain was the same that he'd experienced just a few short days earlier.

"Where is this pain coming from?" He asked himself, trying to push his thoughts away from the pain that had momentarily crippled him.

He could hear the blood rushing through his head and his heart beating loudly. With every beat a sharp spike of pain went through his chest. He needed to stop this, and he needed to stop it now.

"I've got to get the lights!" He said as he shakily stood to his feet. The pain still rocketed through him, yet he removed his hand from his chest and willed himself to move on despite the pain. The lights could wait no longer.

* * *

The rangers were swarming around Destructo. The monster ferociously battling his opponents, the ranger's attacks seemed to be having little effect on their foe.

Leo decided that he was going to try to end the fight rather than pull it out any longer. He powered up his Quasar Saber and Magna Talon and launched himself at Destructo. The monster brought his katana in front of his body and deflected Leo's strike. The power behind the blow sent Leo flying a fair distance away, the red ranger landing in a field of tall grass. His fellow rangers swarmed around him.

"Transdagger!" Damon shouted as he brought out his blade.

"Beta bow!" Kendrix brought up her bow as well.

Together they fired at Destructo, their shots having no effect on the monster, other than serving to enrage him further.

Destructo charged at the rangers and slashed at them. The resulting impact leveled the rangers.

"Farewell losers!" Destructo mocked as he began running towards the stationary lights.

"Lights of Orion come fourth!" He shouted, producing an urn, Destructo drew the lights inside the container.

"I've done it; I finally captured the Lights of Orion!" He laughed manically as he transported away.

* * *

Ali and Azarand finally came upon the lights, but what greeted their eyes terrified them. The rangers were lying on the ground, all of them slow to get up. In front of them stood Destructo, the monster directly beneath the lights, in a flash the lights were gone.

Both Ali and Azarand gawked at what had just happened. Both saw an urn held in Destructo's grasp, they knew the lights were inside. Both drew their revolvers, intent on destroying the urn and freeing the lights, but before they could even draw their hammers back, Destructo had vanished, the lights along with him.

Azarand and Ali stood still for many seconds, shocked at what had just happened. They'd lost the lights, and they might never get them back. Ali shakily holstered his two revolvers before he turned to look at his brother. Azarand was still holding his Smith and Wesson Governor, and still staring at the spot where Destructo had been just a few moments earlier.

The rangers had finally gotten to their feet, everyone of them limping or groaning in pain. Ali wasted no time in going over to help assist them.

"Are you guys okay?" He asked the group.

He received nods but no replies, it was apparent that the rangers were not in a talking mood having just lost the lights.

Ali couldn't blame them. He wondered if he would ever see the lights again. He knew that with the lights in the hands of Scorpius, their fight had just gotten a whole lot tougher.

He walked back over to his brother, who remained stock still, continuously staring at the same spot of ground.

Ali physically shook his brother, only then did Azarand give a hint that he was no longer lost in his thoughts. His eyes turned slightly towards Ali, his body firmly rooted to the ground.

"We will get them back. No matter how long or how far, we will find them." Ali tried to reassure his brother.

Azarand was having none of it. "How? We don't even know where the lights are. Face it Ali, we've lost them. We failed our mission."

Ali felt guilt and hopelessness begin to seep into his bones. He pushed those feelings away; he was not one to look down, only up. "We will find them Azarand. We have Zordon, he's the key to the lights."

Azarand gave a small laugh. "That's if Zordon doesn't kill us for losing the lights. Scorpius now has a huge advantage over us, one that I don't think we can beat."

"He'll understand, we tried our best. We will get the lights back." Ali said before he walked away, the cleric too tired of hearing the hopeless attitude from his brother.

Ali noticed that the rangers were walking away from them, down the concrete path back to the city. Some unmorphed, others still in their signature spandex suits. Their stride showed just how they were feeling, and Ali knew that now was not the time to talk to them. He had to find a way to get the lights back.

He walked back over to his brother, Azarand still standing in the same position, and wordlessly grabbed his arm. Azarand gave a surprised yelp at the rough handling, but Ali wasn't in the mood to hear his qualms. He was fixated on one objective.

* * *

The Magna Defender was too late. After recovering from his painful incident, he'd travelled in the direction of the lights. He had to be fast, he knew that the rangers and most likely Scorpius hadn't missed the re-appearance of their fixation. As he got closer, he suddenly saw the lights disappear.

He shook in rage. He was too late.

 _But perhaps I still have a chance._ He thought, a grin forming underneath his helmet.

He knew that Destructo was most likely the one that had captured the lights. Coming upon where the lights once were, the Magna Defender concealed himself behind trees and bushes. In front of him he saw the rangers as well as the two younglings, the rangers appeared to be injured while the two boys that he had frequent run ins with were standing in apparent shock.

He stayed for only a moment; he needed to find the lights. He knew they were with Destructo and he had a feeling of where Destructo was.

He set off for the ocean dome at a hurried pace.

* * *

They finally got back to the apartment and immediately went over to the coffee table in the living room. Ali didn't bother removing his suit jacket; he threw his homburg hat away and sat down on the couch. Beside him, Azarand gingerly lowered himself onto the soft leather.

Ali activated the call to Zordon. The signal was instantly picked up, Zordon's form appearing before them. By the look on their mentor's face, he knew what had happened.

Ali didn't bother explaining. "We tried and we failed."

Zordon just stared at him in silence for many minutes. Ali didn't know what Zordon looked like when he was mad, he never thought Zordon got mad, but it just looked like he might.

" It was not your fault young ones." Zordon's soft calm voice came over the line of communication.

Both Ali and Azarand were readily surprised.

"But Zordon, we lost the lights! They're in the hands of Scorpius!" Azarand said, finally breaking his silence.

Zordon held his hand up in a gesture meant to convey calmness. "I understand the consequences of what has gone on. But do not fret, the lights will find their way back."

"What?" Ali said.

"Find their way back?" Azarand tacked on.

"Yes, the lights will be released once more." Zordon told the pair.

"How?" Ali asked Zordon, the young cleric was doubtful knowing that Scorpius wouldn't give up his prized possession so easily.

"Deceit and betrayal will be the downfall of Scorpius' current plans." Zordon told Azarand and Ali. "I cannot say anymore, good luck young ones." With that the projection blinked out of existence.

"Wow." Azarand said simply.

Ali looked over to him and gave him a smile. "I told you it would all work out. Scorpius will do all the hard work for us." Ali told his brother.

Azarand smiled back. "I guess you're right about this."

"I'm always right." Ali replied jokingly.

* * *

Far away a group of five individuals converged around a throne like chair. These five men wore dark green suits, the color blending into the darkened background.

Suddenly the chair turned around, revealing a woman. More of a monster than a woman, her face was pale white with a hint of blue, her eyes were a bright red, this was Kypton.

"Ahh, I see you've finally arrived." Kypton said with menacing glee.

"Yes my master, I have assembled a team to take them out." A dark haired man wearing dark sunglasses said."

"Excellent, and how do you plan on taking them out?" Kypton asked, excitement coloring her voice.

"We will send an advanced party consisting of one agent to deal with them. If that fails I will still have four agents at my disposal." The sunglass wearing man said.

"Excellent! Remember, I'm ordering you to kill them! I want you to use your knives to cut their throats. Make them bleed like to inferior beings that they are!" Kypton ordered.

"Yes my master." The agent said, with that he and his team left.

Kypton swiveled her chair around, smiling devilishly all the way. "Oh Zordon, you will quickly find out that I'm not to be reckoned with." She said dark humor. Suddenly her voice took on a darker tone. "Your two agents will soon find out the depths of my wrath, and soon your pitiful band will be down by two."

* * *

Destructo was now in the Ocean Dome, running by the coast, to his right was a sheer cliff that dropped off to a small beach. He'd chosen the dome for its seclusion; he knew that not a lot of civilians travelled to it. He'd gotten word that Trecheron had wanted to meet him; he would not disobey his commander.

The urn containing the lights was kept in the crook of his right arm. He was still ecstatic about having captured the lights earlier that day; perhaps he would be allowed to use the lights now that would be something!

"The lights are mine! Hahahahaha." He said as he walked along the path. "Trecheron will be very grateful for this!"

Suddenly a blade buried itself in his back. He grabbed the blade from his shoulder and threw it on the ground; he recognized it as belonging to the Magna Defender.

Turning around he saw the Magna Defender charging towards him, saber drawn and ready for a fight.

"Give me that jar you fiend!" The Magna Defender shouted as he jumped into the air towards Destructo.

The red monster caught the Defender's saber with his hand and forced it away causing the Magna Defender to spin around. This gave Destructo time to draw his katana and drive it down towards the Magna Defender.

The Magna Defender locked blades with Destructo, neither man budging an inch; it appeared a stalemate was to ensue.

Suddenly the Magna Defender was stuck from behind, the warrior turned around to engage his new foe and was stuck twice more on the chest, sparks erupting everywhere. The Magna Defender was already positioned precariously close to the edge, the new drove him further to the sheer cliff face. He lost his footing and went tumbling over the edge.

After the Magna Defender had fallen away, Destructo looked up and saw his commander, Trecheron, standing in front of him.

"Come Destructo, it is not safe in the open." Trecheron said as he began leading Destructo away.

* * *

The Magna Defender bellowed as he fell. But the vocalization wasn't out of fear, it was out of rage. He knew he would survive this fall, he'd survived one much worse, but his hope of getting the lights was now dashed. He knew that Destructo and Trecheron would most certainly use the lights, seeing as how carrying it around made them vulnerable.

He hit the hard rock below, his body then rolling onto a gravelly beach. He groaned in pain before rising steadily to his feet. He needed to get back up there and fast, he walked over to the cliff face and began to climb.

He briefly wondered what the two younglings were doing, Ali and Azarand. He wondered if they knew of the situation and if they had a plan to stop it. Knowing how cunning they were, he knew that they would have a plan, a reason why he respected them. They thought and fought with their heads, unlike those foolish rangers.

He finally reached the crest of the cliff and pulled himself up. He was still had some slight pain from the fall, and his chest was still smoking, yet he would endure. This was just more valuable time wasted.

"I've got to stop them." The Magna Defender vowed.

* * *

Ali and Azarand had tracked Destructo to the ocean dome. As they walked around they marveled at the place. They never had been to this place, and it was beautiful. Lush forests surrounded by beaches and oceans, it was a wonder it was as secluded and desolate as it was. One would think that civilians on a space station would want to visit the beach, apparently not.

The brothers trekked through the forest, retracing the steps taken by Destructo. They had more than a few tools and abilities to track the monster's movements. It was slow going, but they were making progress.

They walked along a path that was atop a sheer drop to the water below. The sky had suddenly turned cloudy and overcast, as if it was foretelling what was about to transpire.

The pair walked further until their journey took them away from the coast and into the forest. They stopped a couple of hundred feet outside a small cave, the feeling from within unnerving them greatly.

They took positions behind two trees and waited.

They didn't have to wait long for action to pick up. Soon they saw the rangers, morphed and looking around, apparently they'd figured it out as well.

Azarand restrained himself from calling out to the rangers, as did Ali. Even though they had to protect the rangers, they also needed to get the lights back. That goal would possibly be put in jeopardy if they gave away their position.

"He's got to be here somewhere." They heard Leo say.

Both saw movement coming from the cave, there they saw Destructo, the monster walking out from under a small waterfall and looking more confident than ever.

This didn't look good.

* * *

"Rangers, I'm so glad you can make it. Now my powers will be unsurpassed!" Destructo said as he reached towards the jar lid. "Lights of Orion activate!" He opened the lid and the lights fused with his body. His body underwent a transformation; the blades on his shoulders grew, as did his katana. He was truly a monster.

"Oh no, he's used the lights!" Kai said in a state of shock.

"This is awful." Maya said.

"No! He can't have the power of the lights!" The Magna Defender said as he finally reached the scene.

Ali and Azarand were in a state of awe. They didn't know what the lights did to the individual who used their powers, and now they were getting a chance to see the results. However, they realized the gravity of the situation, a being of pure evil was empowered with one of the universe's most powerful objects, and that terrified them.

Destructo had finished his transformation and was now sneering in the direction of the rangers. "So rangers, we have unfinished business!" Destructo said menacingly as he leveled his sword towards the rangers, all of whom who took a step back in fear.

Ali and Azarand knew they couldn't wait; they had to do something, or risk Destructo destroying not only the rangers, but Terra Venture as well.

Both clerics drew their revolvers, intent on opening up on the monster, but they were too late.

Destructo had powered up his large saber and shot a powerful blast at the rangers. The explosion sent the rangers flying high into the air; demorphing when they hit the ground. Ali and Azarand were shocked, but they quickly recovered. Both fired at Destructo, but their shots seemingly had little effect. Their bullets impacting the monster, sparks and smoke erupting from the red body, yet Destructo was not fazed.

The monster was enraged. He stomped towards the two clerics, who had holstered their now empty firearms and had taken out their knives.

When he was a good five feet in front of the pair, he stopped. "Well, it looks like I have two more to destroy this day." Destructo laughed.

"You wish." Ali said as he took out his stiletto switchblade. He didn't wait for Destructo to make a move, he lunged at the monster, who had no time to react before Ali had buried his stiletto deep into the monster's body.

Destructo cried out in pain before he used his new powers. He flung Ali off of him like a rag doll, the young cleric flying a good number of feet away, his body cracking on a hard rock.

Ali cried out in pain and stayed on the ground, delirious and in pain. Destructo had temporarily dealt with one cleric so he turned his attention to the other.

Azarand was staring bug eyed at the monster. He couldn't comprehend how easily Destructo had brushed Ali off. He was for the first time in many years, terrified. But he knew he had to do something, for the sake of his brother. So with lightning speed he flung his ka bar towards the monster. Despite the knife's speed, Destructo swatted it away like a fly. He began advancing on Azarand, who took a defensive stance. When he was within arm's reach, Azarand swung his fist, only to find it blocked in a crushing grip.

Destructo lifted him up and body slammed him to the ground. Azarand had the wind knocked out of him, he was sputtering for breath but it seemed that none would come. He looked up to see Destructo raising his blade above him, intent on destroying the cleric here and now. Suddenly, Ali lunged into the fray, dragging Destructo away from him. Ali fought with his arms and legs, but nothing seemed to work. His struggle only ended when Destructo's hand gripped around his neck, the young man was raised off the ground, his feet kicking feebly as his oxygen ran out.

Suddenly a blast hit Destructo from his rear; the blast was powerful enough to knock the monster down. Ali was unceremoniously dropped to the ground as he coughed and drew in deep breathes.

He faintly noticed Destructo transporting away, but his thoughts were occupied on the individual standing in front of him. There, standing on a slight rocky ledge, his cape swaying in the wind stood the Magna Defender. The warrior's blaster was out and at the ready. But before Ali had any chance to acknowledge the Defender, he'd jumped up and away.

He unsteadily made his way over to Azarand who had picked himself up.

"You okay?" Ali asked his brother who was leaning against a tree.

"Yea, you?" Azarand asked in return.

Ali shook his head. "He saved us."

"Who?" Azarand looked around as if trying to spot their savior.

" Good ole' bull head." Ali said in a Southern drawl.

Azarand smiled at his brother's antics. "You mean our father." He told Ali.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We still have those lights to get." Ali told his brother.

Azarand suddenly went pale. "What about the rangers!?"

"Crap! Let's go find them." Ali said as he retrieved his homburg hat as he and Azarand began their search.

* * *

The rangers found themselves lying at the bottom of a steep hill. Slowly and surely they each got to their feet.

"Guys you okay?" Leo asked his teammates as he helped Kendrix up.

"Yeah I think so." Kai replied.

Suddenly stingwingers appeared and were barreling towards them. The rangers tried to defend themselves, but they were too weak from the experience they'd just been through. And there were too many, whenever they would beat one another would just take its place. It seemed like a never ending onslaught.

Then in the face of such insurmountable odds, a ray of hope appeared well two actually.

Ali and Azarand joined in on the fray, each punching, kicking, and beating their opponents. The pair began to thin the numbers until there were no stingwingers left to fight. Kai got to his feet and made his way over to Azarand.

"Thanks you two, we weren't sure if you were victims of Destructo." Kai said.

"Nearly." Azarand said. "But we will beat him in the future. You rangers will beat him that is."

"How? He has the lights." Damon said in a frustrated tone.

"Betrayal and greed will be his undoing." Ali chimed in from a fair distance away.

A bright flash of light blinded everyone for a number of seconds. When their vision cleared, Destructo was once more standing in front of them.

Ali and Azarand moved away from the rangers, giving them space to morph.

"Go galactic!" They all shouted in unison, morphing into their suits.

The rangers then ran toward Destructo, who was slowly walking towards them, with Ali and Azarand trailing behind them.

"That's far enough!" Leo shouted as he and the other rangers halted.

"Back for more? Don't you know you haven't got a chance of defeating me?" Destructo said smugly.

"We'll never give up, even with your new powers!" Leo shouted.

Both Ali and Azarand smiled at hearing Leo's confidence. Concealed behind the rangers, they took to reloading their revolvers.

Destructo smiled. "Say goodbye rangers." He said as he pointed his giant sword at the rangers, intent on ending them here and now. The rangers, along with Ali and Azarand tensed up. The latter two hoping that what Zordon said about greed and betrayal was spot on.

In an instant, black smoke sprayed from a beaded necklace that was worn on Destructo's forearm.

"What's happening? I've been tricked!" Destructo said as he went down to his knees.

"What?" Damon said in surprise.

Behind them Ali and Azarand smiled to each other, their mentor hadn't failed them yet.

"That's correct Destructo!" A gravelly voice said.

Everyone turned and looked up, there in a tree was Impostra.

"Impostra, I should've known it was you. " Destructo said as he turned his back on the rangers and stomped over to the tree Impostra was sitting in.

"But you didn't you were merely a pawn in the master plan. I'd like to thank you for getting the Lights of Orion for me." Impostra told an angry Destructo.

Watching the exchange, Ali turned to Azarand and whispered. "This is better than the afternoon soap opera."

Azarand turned to him and playfully socked him in the arm.

"For you? But I'm the one with the power of the lights." Destructo said confused.

"You mean you had the power. I'm taking them back." Impostra said as she opened the lid of the jar in her hand.

"Never!" Destructo vowed.

"You have no choice!" Impostra said, suddenly the jar she was holding exploded into fragments.

Impostra sat there stunned. Azarand likewise was shocked, Ali however had been looking around and saw the culprit. He couldn't help but smile.

"Who did that!?" Impostra yelled in fury.

"I did." A deep voice said.

Everyone turned and saw the Magna Defender walking towards them, his blaster held in his right hand.

"Magna Defender." Impostra said in rage.

"Neither one of you vile creatures will possess the power of the lights. " The Magna Defender said as he slapped the barrel of his blaster lightly against his left hand.

"This is none of your business!" Impostra told the black caped warrior.

 _Bad thing to say hun_. Ali thought in his mind as he watched the exchange from behind the rangers.

"It is now." The Magna Defender said, wasting no time in aiming his blaster at Impostra and firing.

Impostra was hit and sent falling from the tree. She landed in the grass with a thud. Azarand couldn't help but cringe at the impact.

She stood up on wobbly feet and glared at the Defender. "Don't think this is the last of me, I will be back!" She said before transporting away.

The Magna Defender turned to face Destructo. "And now for you Destructo."

Destructo turned around to face the Magna Defender. "Don't you know you haven't got a chance of defeating me?"

"You may have more power than I do, but power alone won't be enough. You're pathetic, let's get this over with." The Magna Defender told the monster.

"Ha! I beat those two clerics senseless. Until you jumped in and saved them! What makes you think I won't do the same to you?" Destructo said smugly, if he could beat two individuals so highly regarded, then the Magna Defender would be no match.

The statement caused Kendrix and Leo to glance back at the two young men standing behind. Ali and Azarand knew there would be a need for explanations later.

The Magna Defender glanced at Ali and Azarand, the latter giving the warrior a slight nod. The Magna Defender turned back to stare at Destructo. " The two young men who you fought today were at a disadvantage. You have the power of the lights, they have their bodies. They fight extremely effectively, of that I have no doubt." The Defender told the monster, in a flash he had drawn his sword and charged at Destructo.

The monster had no time to react as he drew his own blade and blocked the Defender's. His luck however ran out. The Magna Defender got in three strikes on his body, the last releasing the lights from his body.

Throughout the short fight, Ali and Azarand were rooted to the ground. They were not aware of the present situation, they were in shock.

Did the Magna Defender really just praise them? It seemed impossible. They were shaken out of their thoughts by a gale force wind nearly knocking them off their feet.

They turned their heads and saw the Lights of Orion once more shining in all their glory.

Suddenly they saw the Magna Defender running towards the lights, in front of him stood the rangers.

This was not going to be good.

* * *

The Magna Defender was running towards the lights, intent of finally getting their power. However, the rangers blocked his path.

"You can't have them!" Leo told his sometime foe.

"How many times do I have to tell you? The Lights of Orion will be mine." The Magna Defender said, putting his hand on his chest for emphasis.

"We can't let that happen, you have too much anger inside of you!" Leo said.

"You leave me no choice! Out of my way!" The Magna Defender ordered as he drew his blaster and aimed it at the rangers, his finger on the trigger.

"Wait!" A voice yelled over the howling wind.

Azarand and Ali jogged and stood in front of the Magna Defender's barrel. The Defender slowly eased up on the trigger. Ali was staring right into his visor.

"The lights are drawn to goodness." Ali told the vengeful warrior.

"They will choose those who they see worthy. Any attempts at forcing the lights to submit will be met with….. rejection." Azarand told both the rangers and the Magna Defender.

The Magna Defender was not about to let the lights go. He cocked his blaster in a show of opposition.

Azarand and Ali stared him down. Ali moved his suit jacket aside to grip his .357 hanging over the front of his right thigh. He made sure the Magna Defender saw him.

"I'm grateful for what you've done, however inadvertent." Ali told the Defender honestly. He needed the warrior to understand, he needed to stop whatever he was thinking. "But I'm a cleric, it is my job to not only protect the rangers, but the lights as well. I'm sure you realize that."

The Magna Defender gave no response so Ali continued.

"If you plan on using your blaster, it will be to blast Azarand and I down because we will never let the lights fall into the wrong hands. So if you're sure, then pull that trigger." Ali said as he walked closer to the Defender, his chest nearly touching the barrel.

The Magna Defender warred with himself internally. One side was telling him to pull the trigger, to remove this obstacle to his revenge. The other urged him to refrain; these two were unique, especially to him. Snippets of the flashbacks came back, those two young tots, so happy, so full of life. If he were to end them here and now, then what would he be? A murderer, he told himself. A murderer that had taken two sons away from their like the monsters who'd taken Zika away from him. He respected these two a great deal, and he couldn't bring harm to them. He knew he was powerful; he'd defeated many powerful monsters, including Destructo who had the lights. He could and would destroy Scorpius, even without the power of the lights.

He slowly brought his blaster down and gave a minute nod.

Ali's smile was a mile wide. "You won't regret this." He said before turning around to face the rangers.

All parties stood silently, staring at the lights.

Suddenly the lights moved over to the rangers.

"Whoa." Leo said.

"They seem to be.." Maya began to speak, shock plain in her voice.

"Choosing us." Damon said.

"The lights have chosen you rangers." Azarand said as he walked towards them, a smile on his face. The wind had died down, allowing speech at normal volume. "All you have to do is accept."

The rangers reached their hands up into the sphere of light. A blinding flash and a booming crack came not a second later. Azarand's ears buzzed and Ali's eyes were blurry. But as they came back into focus they were amazed. There stood the rangers, their Quasar Sabers customized with a unique hilt, and the addition of a new wrist device. The Lights of Orion had finally found worthy bearers of its powers.

Behind them the Magna Defender looked on in contempt and anger. His long hunt for the lights had ended in failure, but his end game of destroying Scorpius was still very much alive.

Destructo came out from behind a tree, not happy one bit. He began stumbling towards the rangers. "I want my powers back, give them to me rangers!" He yelled as he charged towards the now light bearing rangers.

The rangers made quick work of the once formidable monster. Activating the lights, they punched a hole clean through the monster, destroying him.

Ali and Azarand looked on with pride.

The rangers demorphed and slapped each other on the back in excitement.

Ali and Azarand kept their distance from the happy bunch, wanting the rangers to have their time; they still felt the presence of the Magna Defender at their backs.

The two brothers turned their heads slightly to glance. The Magna Defender was just standing there, a stare fixed on some point in front of him. Azarand and Ali expected nothing less, the Magna Defender was stoic by nature.

" Congratulations rangers." A new voice said.

Instant dread filled Ali and Azarand, they'd heard that voice from somewhere. They tried to remember from where, but they just couldn't put their fingers on it.

They turned around, and that's when their blood truly froze. It was like a monster from their worst nightmares. There, walking towards them, in a dark green suit, was….. him.

Horrifying memories assailed their minds, memories of them being lined up in the ditch, and that man giving the order to fire.

"Well well well, if it isn't the two mutants who survived." The ghoul of an agent said, sneering at the two clerics he'd nearly killed all those years ago.

Both the Magna Defender, who was to their right, and the rangers to their left, fixed Ali and Azarand with hard stares. The surprise and curiosity was apparent of the rangers' faces, however the Magna Defender stared more in shock than anything.

"I was wondering when I'd be able to finally finish what I started all those years ago." He laughed menacingly. He stopped ten feet away from the agents, his left hand behind his back.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ali saw the Magna Defender's fist curl ever so slightly into a fist.

He finally replied to the man who'd killed 250,000 people. "By all means darling." Ali said in a mocking tone as he opened his arms wide.

The man's sneer slowly disappeared before it turned into a frown. He began to walk forward until he was within a hair's distance. To Ali's right, Azarand tensed ever so slightly, the only indication he was readying for an attack.

And boy was he right.

Within a split second, the man's left hand whipped out from behind his back, a knife gripped in his fingers. He stabbed down towards Ali with the purpose of driving the blade through his chest. Ali caught the man's hand by creating an X with his forearms. Then wasting no time, he thrust his forearms out and twisted the blade out of his attacker's hand. He landed a hard head butt that sent the man staggering back, his homburg hat falling away as well. But Ali wasn't finished, he caught the man underneath the jaw with an uppercut, the man's hand flying to hold his wounded chin. Then he did something that Ali wasn't expecting, the man reached into his coat and withdrew his semi automatic pistol. He leveled it at Ali and clicked the safety off, all within a span of a second.

Ali saw his life flash before his eyes, he knew by the time he'd reached down and gripped his .357 or .44, there would be a bullet in his head. Even if he were to go here and now, he would go feeling a sense of accomplishment. The lights had chosen those who were worthy, even if he was no longer around, they would carry on the fight.

But the shot never came, instead, the man ended up with a knife buried in his eye. Ali recognized it as a ka bar. The man fell back onto his back unmoving, the hilt sticking out from his face.

Ali turned around in shock to look at Azarand. The cleric had his right arm fully extended from when he threw the blade. Ali turned his head to look at the Magna Defender, he was surprised to see the Defender had his blaster out and ready for use. Ali was warmed by the gesture.

The rangers had looks of shock and horror at what they'd just seen. While they were accustomed to defeating monsters, none of them had seen a person get killed, and it left a cold feeling in their stomachs, even if the dead individual was a vile being.

Azarand walked over to his brother and put his two hands on Ali's shoulders. "I will never let you die. Not now, not ever." He whispered to his brown haired sibling.

Ali gave him a large smile. "Nor I you Az."

Azarand let go of his brother's shoulders and retrieved his ka bar, prying it out of the dead man's eye.

As he stood up from the corpse, Azarand looked at both the rangers and the Magna Defender. "I'm sorry you had to see that." He said apologetically.

* * *

The Magna Defender wondered why Azarand would say such a thing. He didn't need to apologize; he'd done what he had to save his brother. And if he hadn't, then he himself would've dealt with the threat to Ali. He'd removed and cocked his blaster, fully ready to use it to protect one of the only individuals he respected.

However, there was a nagging voice in his head that told him another reason.

 _It was your instincts as a father._ The voice said, he thought he recognized it from somewhere. _You felt the need to protect your son._ The light male voice added.

The Magna Defender quashed the voice, he didn't need to hear it, especially coming from a voice that'd plagued his mind ever since he'd left the crevice on Miranoi.

While his flashbacks were telling, he was not about to accept that these two individuals were his two remaining sons. While he'd come close to accepting the truth before, he backed away in denial this time.

Sons or not, if these two boys needed aide, he would gladly give it to them.

It was then that he noticed four shadows walking out of the tree line.

* * *

Ali heard the footsteps before he saw the figures, by the time the four green suited men appeared out of the trees, he and his brother were already facing them.

"I see the results of your handiwork." A red headed agent said. "I must say good execution, but you won't get another chance."

"And why not?" Ali said as he walked up to the red head. Soon enough, the four agents had surrounded both Ali and Azarand.

"Because you're going to be bleeding out like a fish." The agent said with a gleeful smile.

Ali returned the smile but said nothing.

Azarand stared through the agents and towards the rangers. He could see Damon, Kai, and Maya changing their stances into one of defense. "Rangers, I stress that you not get involved." He said, the three rangers relaxing.

To be sure that no one else would get hurt, Ali turned to the red head. "Your fight is with us, no one else."

The red head's smile grew. "I would have it no other way."

Without any replay, Ali kicked the man's legs out from under him and drew his stiletto. The agent to the right was the unlucky receiver, Ali jabbed the knife into his jugular, blood spewing out like a fountain.

Azarand was currently engaged in hand to hand combat with a burly black haired agent. The man throwing punches endlessly, Azarand blocking each blow with seemingly no effort, soon the agent drew a six inch long blade and tried to stab and slash at Azarand. The cleric drew his own ka bar, still bloodied from the previous kill, and threw stabs and slashes of his own. The agent blocked all of his advances, so Ali decided to change things up a bit. He kicked the man in his crotch, as the man doubled over in pain Azarand drew his head back, exposing his neck. With one swipe he'd cut the man's throat from ear to ear.

After Ali had taken care of the blacked haired agent, he turned to see the red head still on the ground, looking around further he noticed that one agent was missing. He frantically searched until he spotted the man lurking up behind the Magna Defender, his blade drawn.

For the life of him, Ali couldn't understand how the Magna Defender didn't sense the presence behind him, but Ali reminded himself that this was an agent of Kypton. Their entire duty revolves around staying out of sight.

Ali sprinted towards the Magna Defender as the figure closed the gap behind the warrior.

"Look out!" Ali screamed and pointed. The Magna Defender began to turn around, but Ali knew it would be too late if he didn't get there fast enough.

He activated his secret weapon, one that he was to use in dire situations as a last resort. He hadn't trained with it much, be he was going to rely on it now. As he ran, he tapped his left shoe with his right, and out popped a blade.

He reached the Defender just in time, blocking the stab and kicking the man to the ground. Ali considered himself merciful, but with the danger this threat posed, he could not let it live.

He drove his bladed shoe into the man's chest, a gurgaling sound erupting from the man's throat. He drew his foot back, and drove it again once more into the man's chest. Blood seemed through the white shirt, but Ali was not finished. He drew his foot back one final time and sent the blade right into the man's heart, a look of grisly satisfaction colored Ali's features.

Before he had a chance to ask if the Magna Defender was harmed, arms had wrapped their way around his neck. Ali's oxygen supply was cut off, and he staggered before grabbing a hold of one of the arms around his neck. He twisted it and forced it downward, the action breaking the arm with a snap. The red headed agent as his back howled in pain. Ali then flipped the agent over his back and onto the ground. He grabbed the man's chin and forehead. With one swift precision maneuver, the man's neck was broken with a sickening crack, his body slumping into the grass.

Ali and Azarand were left standing in silence, five bodies surrounding them. Both breathed heavily from their fight.

Without a word, they collected their belongings and began to walk away. As they left Ali nodded to the Magna Defender, the warrior nodding back in silent thanks.

* * *

Ali plopped himself down on the couch, he was bruised and tired. In the kitchen, Azarand greedily gulped down a glass of water.

There was a knock on the door. Ali moved to open it as Azarand moved out of the kitchen slightly to get a look at who it was.

The rangers greeted their sight, all of them staring at Ali with a look of concern and underlying gratitude.

Kai held his hand out, Ali stared out it for a couple moments before shaking it.

"Thanks Ali, and you too Azarand. For protecting us that is." Kai told the young cleric.

"You're welcome; it's our duty to protect you guys." Ali said, looking at each of the rangers faces.

"I just… I just didn't realize that you had to kill." Maya said looking down at the ground.

Ali put his hand under her chin and raised it to stare into her hazel eyes. "Sometimes Maya, deadly force must be used to protect those we must. It should always be a last resort, as it is for us, but there are situations where it's the only option. I hope you understand and are not mad or afraid of us after what you just saw."

Maya gave Ali a small smile. "We could never be mad at you two for protecting us." She said with a small smile.

Ali gave her a small smile in return. "I'm sorry to shoo you guys away, but Az and I are exhausted, I think we're going to it the sack.

The rangers nodded and said their goodnights before they left. As they were leaving, Leo caught Ali's forearm.

"Thanks again." Leo said quietly.

"You're most welcome Mr. Corbett." Azarand said as he came up behind Ali.

Both Ali and Leo smiled before Leo walked away.

Ali shut the door and within minutes he and his brother were out like lights.

The Magna Defender stood once more in the mountain dome, brooding over the day's events.

He was utterly shocked when Ali saved him from that would be attacker, for that he was utterly grateful.

But something disturbed him, what the voice had said earlier. He'd been on an emotional rollercoaster regarding his acceptance that these two young clerics, Ali and Azarand were indeed a part of his family. He was further shocked when the lead agent mocked their experiences, even calling them mutants.

Chills swept through his armored frame as recognition dawned. On his home planet of Taurus, there was a class of beings called mutants. They were killed, all 250,000 of them. It was no mere coincidence that these two were called mutants, in Taurusian society their looks would classify them as such and they would've been rounded up along with the rest of their group members.

There was no denying it now, this revelation coupled with his flashbacks all but confirmed what he'd had trouble accepting for so long.

His family, including himself, was not a pair, it was quartet!

 **Well sorry for the long delay, I've slacked off again. Coming into the chapter, I wasn't expecting such gore, but alas it is now in the pages. I may have to change the rating of the story if need be, hope that doesn't inconvenience any readers.**

 **LittleP**


	15. The Dagger (Shark Attack)

Chapter 15: The Dagger (Shark Attack)

"It appears that the Shark Brothers have returned and have freed Trecheron." Zordon's voiced boomed throughout the apartment.

Ali and Azarand sat on the couch listening to their boss.

"Shark Brothers?" Ali asked, he'd never heard of the name before.

" Yes, they're believed to be Trecheron's most loyal followers, willing to be destroyed themselves if it meant protecting their leader."

"So we're dealing with a pair of delusional monsters with a messed up view of reality. Now that sounds a lot like some religious and political leaders back on Earth." Azarand joked lightly.

Ali looked at him square in the face and softly punched him. "Az, we talked about how not everyone on Earth has the same access to knowledge that we do. We have Zordon, they don't" Ali said plainly.

"Yeah but still." Azarand continued, readying to argue his point of view.

Ali put his hand up. "Ok… ok, yes, I agree with you on that, but we should get back to business."

Both brothers turned back to the blue hologram of Zordon, their mentor giving them a smile. "Ah, the relationship between siblings never ceases to amaze me."

"Amaze my ass. If you had a brother Zordon, it would get tiring real quickly." Azarand said.

Zordon laughed in response. "Your humor, Azarand, is refreshing. "

"No problem Zordon. However, what is a problem is the Shark Brothers. What are we to do?" Azarand asked his mentor slightly exasperated.

"Their plan will soon fall apart, leave it to the rangers to pick up the pieces. I'm afraid that is all I can say, good luck young ones." With that the hologram disappeared, leaving Ali and Azarand in a state of confusion.

"What does that mean?" Ali asked his brother.

"I have no idea, I guess we're gonna find out." Azarand said as a matter of fact.

"Oh goodie." Ali replied sarcastically.

* * *

The Magna Defender stood silently, his gaze sweeping across the Mountain Dome. Here he found peace from his demons, or as much peace as was possible for a tortured soul.

He thoughts were occupied, as they always seemed to be, by those two younglings. Whenever he reminisced of Zika, his thoughts and memories always included Ali and Azarand. For some odd reason, the memories seemed to take on a life of their own, completing themselves. It was no longer just Zika that took up his mind's eye, it was his entire family, the three boys he'd lovingly raised.

 _No longer._ He seethed, he'd been denied the lights in what was the only honorable thing he'd done in the past 3,000 years. And he'd done it for them, those two, they'd convinced him to let the lights go, and he did. But he would never let his mission go; he would destroy Scorpius, no matter what anyone said.

* * *

Leo was making his bed when his morpher beeped. "Go ahead Alpha."

"Leo! Trecheron and Trakeena are on Terra Venture, you've got to stop them. "Alpha told the red ranger, panic clear in the robotic voice.

"Right!" Leo said as he ran out the door, he needed to gather the others and combat the new threat to the space station.

He ran through the halls, desperately trying to find the others. He ran into Kendrix, Maya, and Damon, literally.

Picking themselves off the white linoleum floor, the three stared at Leo in surprise.

"Leo, what has you in a rush?" Kendrix asked the red ranger.

"Trecheron and Trakeena, we need to go!" Leo said as he ran past them, the three following closely behind.

As he ran, Leo used his morpher to contact Kai. "Go Leo." Kai said once contact was established.

"Kai, meet us in the West End Park ASAP. Trecheron and Trakeena have arrived." He told his fellow ranger.

"I'll be there in a jiffy!" Kai said before he cut their communication.

Leo could only smile at Kai's word usage, it appeared Ali and Azarand had rubbed off on not only himself.

The rangers ran and ran, meeting up with Kai at the West End Park, and then continuing onward. They came upon a scene which momentarily surprised them. Trecheron, surrounded by the two Shark Brothers, was taking down stingwingers left and right. The monster turned away to face Trakeena, the latter backing away from the white monster in fear, the rangers took the opportunity.

"Stop right there!" Leo yelled, distracting Trecheron as he was bearing down on Trakeena. Trecheron, the Shark Brothers, and Trakeena whipped around to face the voice.

They saw the rangers charging in their direction.

"Sharks, get them!" Trecheron ordered, the two brothers running out to meet the rangers.

Leo gracefully swept past the two siblings, leaving the rest of his team to deal with them, he focused on Trecheron.

As he neared Trecheron, Leo drew his Quasar Saber and locked blades with his well known foe. "Get off Terra Venture!" He ordered the monster, although for the life of him he didn't know why. He knew ordering the monster around was going to get him nowhere. Perhaps he was just simply fed up with Trecheron's constant presence.

"Not until I finish what I came here to do!" The monster replied, his katana pushing against Leo's saber.

The answer surprised Leo. "What's that?" He asked without thinking, he then mentally slapped himself for such a comment. This was an enemy that tried to destroy him, not a friend he'd held pleasant conversations with.

Suddenly out of his periphery vision, Leo saw Trakeena begin to run away from them. Trecheron noticed as well and turned his head to face Scorpius' retreating daughter.

"Trakeena!" He bellowed, clearly displeased at the recent turn of events.

Trecheron finally broke the stalemate by shoving Leo's saber upwards into the air, and delivering a quick elbow to his gut. It was enough to make the ranger stumble back, giving Trecheron time to turn away and give chase to Trakeena.

Leo shook off the pain and saw that Trecheron was getting away. He could not let that happen, this monster was a very real danger. He crouched low to the ground, gathering all of his strength and power, and then in one split second, he channeled the energy into a force jump. The jump sent him through the air, landing in front of Trecheron.

His nemesis wasted no time in charging directly at him, destruction clear in his lifeless eyes. Leo managed to block the first slash, but the second caught him clear in the chest, sparks and smoke spewing from the impact. Trecheron wasted no time in kicking his legs out from under him, then delivering a bone crushing kick that sent him spinning away.

Leo landed with a grunt.

"Stay out of this red ranger!" Trecheron told Leo. He then turned to the Shark Brothers who were demolishing the rangers, both taking out Kai and Kendrix with simultaneously attacks. "Shark Brothers!" Trecheron waited until the two had turned around, "get Trakeena!" He shouted, the two brothers obeying without hesitation, quickly running in the direction of the bug's daughter.

Now Leo was utterly surprised, and confused. "What's going on!?" He yelled as he got back to his feet.

He didn't wait for an answer, Leo charged at Trecheron once more, the white monster turning to face him. They would once again resume their battle.

* * *

The Magna Defender had taken his time to track Trakeena. He'd witnessed the engagement between Trecheron, the Shark Brothers, and the rangers from a fair distance away. He'd also seen Trakeena slink away from the fighting, he was not about to let an opportunity like this go to waste. So he'd followed her, and when he thought she was most vulnerable, he struck.

He was not about to let the daughter of the pest that'd killed one of his sons get away. He would end her here and now. Drawing out Zika's dagger from his forearm holster, he waited until Trakeena was in the line of fire before throwing it towards her. To his disappointment, the blade did not impact her flesh; rather it buried itself in the tree directly in front of her.

Trakeena stared in shock at the small blade buried in the tree bark directly in front of her face. Slowly, she backed away in fear, not knowing where it came from. She turned to her left, intent on running in the other direction when she saw exactly who tried to kill her.

The Magna Defender walked towards her with a purpose, his first attack had failed, but he had many other ways of dispatching the pest spawn. Seeing the look of rage on her face made him smile darkly under his helmet.

"You!" Trakeena snarled, shoving her staff towards the Magna Defender, attempting to strike the warrior.

The Magna Defender scoffed to himself and grabbed the staff, wrenching it from her arms, the useless stick fell to the ground.

With Trakeena disarmed, the Magna Defender did not hold back the words he'd wanted to say for many years.

He pointed at Trakeena with an unwaivering arm. "Your cold blooded father took Zika, my son, from me." He growled in anger. The memories from the night of Zika's death flooded his mind; they only served to further fuel his anger.

However, other thoughts soon followed, thoughts of Ali and Azarand, but he quickly stomped those out. Thoughts such as those would serve no purpose here.

He drew on his seething anger, his hatred for Scorpius as his gloved right hand moved across his body and clasped his sword's hilt. He drew it out of its sheath, menacingly pointing the blade at Trakeena.

"Now I will take his only daughter from him." He said as he began to advance on the frightened "woman."

He was now consumed by his anger, his entire being seemed to radiate its darkness, this was the being that would destroy without any remorse. Gone was the being that respected Ali and Azarand, gone was the loving father of three, now there was only hatred.

He walked closer and closer towards her, intent on driving his blade straight through her frame. He finally reached her and put his hand on the tree trunk behind her right shoulder, preventing her from escaping. He was gleeful as he drew his left arm back, sword in hand, he would soon deal a huge blow to Scorpius. He drove his hand forward, but suddenly, the overwhelming pain that'd crippled him during the hunt for the lights had returned.

He groaned in pain, his right hand instantly clutching his chest, the sword held in his left hand slowly twisted out of his grasp and fell into the grass beneath. He fell to his knees and clutched his chest even tighter, the pain radiated from his chest in crushing waves.

"This can't be happening! Not now! I'm too close to having my revenge!" He groaned as his left hand on his chest curled and uncurled.

Above him he noticed Trakeena look at him with shock before she slowly began to move to the side. He tried to turn his head upwards to see, but the pain was so overwhelming he couldn't stand to crane his head for more than a second.

Trakeena began to run off, and he feebly tried to stop her. His right hand snaked out from his body and he reached out to her disappearing forum, his fingers clenching with spasms of agony.

"Wait!" He shouted, his voice cracking as throbbing in his chest spread over his body. With Trakeena long gone, he turned his head to look down upon his own chest, the blue sapphire emerald shining in the morning light. "What's happening to me!?" He spoke aloud, voice tense with pain.

 _Don't think of vengeance, only the good._ The voice within him answered the ever present, ever annoying presence within his soul. He'd carried it ever since his escape on Miranoi.

The pain was very much still present, his chest seemed to be exploding, his head throbbing, his legs aching, but it seemed to be subsiding, however slowly.

He knew that others were close by, and in his present state, he was vulnerable to attack. He knew he had to get out of the area as soon as possible. He tried to stand but the throbbing forced him to his knees once more. He quietly swore to himself and cursed the presence that weighed heavy on his soul. Once again he tried to get to his feet and once more he failed, he reached out to the tree for support and for a third time his hefted himself up, his black armored legs wobbling with the load. His pained legs couldn't support his legs, and he was sent crashing into the tree, his helmet cracking off the truck with a sound akin to shattering glass. He fell beside the tree, his head throbbing more than ever, his chest aching excruciatingly, and his legs screaming with pain. He'd never felt as broken as he did now, perhaps his time was nearing, perhaps he would never get up, perhaps he would soon join his fallen son in another plain of existence.

He heard the crunch of twigs and the sound of footsteps approaching. He had to get out of here now. With increasing urgency, he lifted his body onto his knees and slowly made his way to his feet once more. He very nearing cried out in pain, but he bit his lip, so hard he even tasted blood.

Using the tree to take most of his weight, he wobbled over and retrieved his sword. Without sheathing his blade, he gathered all of his strength and jumped up and away, just as the footsteps descended on his previous position.

* * *

Ali and Azarand had made their way to where they thought Trecheron and his cronies had landed aboard Terra Venture.

They were making their way through a small thicket of trees, side by side, when Ali noticed movement to his right. He grabbed Azarand's forearm, and removed his .357 from his holster, he didn't want to be unprepared for an attack.

Slowly but surely, they moved closer and closer to where they'd seen the movement, when they arrived at the location they found nothing. Both brothers searched the area, Azarand was searching when he came upon a large tree, what he saw embedded in the tree surprised him.

"Hey Al, take a look at this." He said to his brother, Ali came jogging over, his eyes widening at what he saw.

"The dagger that the Magna Defender uses." Ali said as he gingerly pulled the small blade from the bark. "What is it doing here?" He asked his brother as he turned the blade over in his hand, marveling at its dull black surface.

"Do you think the Magna Defender was here?" Azarand asked his brother.

Ali stared at the blade momentarily before lifting his head up to face his brother. "It certainly appears that way, unless someone incapacitated Magna Defender and took his dagger. Do you think that's plausible?"

Azarand shook his head. "Absolutely not. Based on what we've seen his do to Scorpius' minions, none of them could've taken him down."

"I agree." Ali said.

"So what do you think happened?" Azarand said as he scanned the area looking for clues.

Before Ali had a chance to respond, something caught Azarand's eye, and within seconds he walked around the tree.

"What are you doing Az?" Ali replied with a cocked eyebrow.

Azarand didn't look up but rather stared at a particular spot on the ground. Ali was intrigued, and as he leaned closer, he noticed what Azarand was staring at. It looked like three indentations left in the dark soil, two were clean knee marks, and the third appeared to be that of a hand.

Ali came to only one conclusion, the Magna Defender was injured.

"You think he took a hit?" He asked Azarand.

"I think so, none of the evidence points to the rangers, and the only other individual we know of that hands humanoid like dimensions is the Magna Defender." Azarand replied.

"What should we do? Track him?" Ali asked his brother, clearly at a loss.

"What about the rangers?" Azarand questioned.

"I think the rangers can handle their own fights, they have the power of the lights." Ali told his brother with confidence.

"I agree, I think we should track him. Judging by these marks, he's obviously in some sort of danger."

"But how can you do that when we only have three prints? It's like tracking Bigfoot." Ali threw his hands up in the air, exasperated.

"Don't fret Al, we're clerics remember?" Azarand snickered at his brother. "We have other ways to track the Magna Defender."

Ali was skeptical, but ever since he'd encountered the Magna Defender face to face all those weeks ago, he'd felt a mental tug towards the man. After all, he was family; it was not unheard of for familial bonds to be so powerful.

Ali decided that he would follow this mental draw; he closed his eyes and felt two distinct presences in his mind. One was extremely strong, he guessed it was Azarand, the other was dim, yet not so dim that he wasn't able to establish a basic direction in which to follow. He began walking forward, unaware of Azarand's increasing concern at seeing his brother walk off with closed eyes.

"Ali! What are you doing!?" Azarand yelled as he ran to his brother and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him.

"Shhh! I'm trying to concentrate Az." Ali hissed, irritated that his concentration was broken.

"Concentrate on doing what?" Azarand asked, clearly confused with the situation.

"I'm following my mental bond." Ali said quietly, eyes still glued closed.

"Mental bond? To who?" Azarand asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Ali gave him a stern glance. "The Magna Defender, he is after all our family." Even now, Ali wasn't sure he was ready to say the one word that he'd hadn't mentioned in many years. _Father._

Azarand nodded his head in understanding. He held his arm straight out in front of Ali. "Lead the way brother."

Ali smiled before he closed his eyes again, allowing his bond to pull him towards their target.

* * *

Leo was locked in a fierce battle with Trecheron. The monster hacking and slashing at him, with Leo struggling to keep up as the monster bore down on him. He locked swords with Trecheron, and without hesitation, delivered a strong kick to Trecheron's midsection which sent the monster flying.

Leo raised his saber over his head, preparing to strike at Trecheron when he heard the last person he'd thought he'd ever hear again.

 _Good will always triumph._

Leo stilled in shock, his saber hand beginning to shake slightly. "Mike?"

Leo turned his back on Trecheron, looking around to see if he could spot his brother. "Mike?" Leo said again.

Trecheron noticed this and stood up, with the red ranger's back turned to him, he took advantage. He charged full speed towards the ranger, his katana drawing back to strike a blow.

Kendrix was just getting to her feet after being downed by an earlier attack by the Shark Brothers. She stood just in time to see Trecheron running towards Leo at lightning speed. "Leo!" She shouted hoping to get the red ranger's attention.

Leo turned around just in time for Trecheron's blow to strike him hard in the chest, the force of the impact causing him to be thrown back.

Leo landed hard on his stomach, groaning in pain. Kendrix and the other rangers rushed over to surround him protectively.

"Leo are you alright?" Kendrix asked as she helped Leo to his feet.

To their right, Trecheron stood staring at the rangers, thinking he would soon end the group of meddlesome humans. That was until his plans was interrupted by the Shark Brothers.

"Yo Trecheron!" The Shark Brothers shouted towards their commander.

Trecheron was angered at the thought of not finishing off the rangers. He turned back to them and fixed them with a glare. "Lucky for you I have a bigger problem to deal with right now!" He turned his back on the rangers, sheathed his katana and jumped away.

"Wait!" Leo shouted, reaching his white gloved hand out in a feeble attempt to get Trecheron to stay and fight.

* * *

Trecheron met up with the Shark Brothers a short distance away, the two brothers kneeling before their general in respect.

"Trakeena has returned to the Scorpion Stinger, should we follow her?" One of the brothers asked.

"No!" Trecheron shouted loudly. "I cannot leave here until I've proven my worthiness to Scorpius, or else I will be back in the same mess I just got out of!"

He walked off, leading the Shark Brothers to a quiet pond that was secluded from the rest of the large park.

He sat down, the two brothers following suit, Trecheron facing the pair. "With the red ranger beaten for now, I will have to prove my loyalty to Scorpius by destroying the other rangers."

"We await your command!" One of the brothers said confidently.

The other brother however, wasn't so convinced. "But aren't the rangers too powerful with the Lights of Orion?"

Trecheron was quick to stomp out any doubt. "Not as long as we keep them separated." He drew his katana halfway out of its sheath. "The lights cannot be activated if the rangers are not all together."

Trecheron stood up and walked away, the Shark Brothers following diligently behind. They had a couple of rangers to deal with.

* * *

Even after such a long distance, walking over obstacles such as branches and streams, Ali still had his eyes closed. Azarand silently walked behind him.

Ali could feel that he was getting close, the dim presence he'd felt earlier was steadily getting brighter in his mind's eye.

They came upon a clearing and there standing on top of a small rise, was the Magna Defender. The warrior was standing towards the glaring sun, facing away from the pair; it appeared that he hadn't noticed them.

Ali and Azarand began moving up the hill behind the Magna Defender, the warrior remained standing, staring out towards the neighboring star. As they got closer, Ali noticed that the Defender's legs were bent more than usual, as if the load of his upper body was straining the support of his legs. Looking the man over further, it was clear, even with the cape in the way, that the Magna Defender's entire body seemed hunched over.

"So you two have come to annoy me?" The Magna Defender growled, stopping Ali and Azarand in their tracks.

Even with the harsh question, Ali could hear the painful undertone that laced the man's voice. Ali just stared as the Defender continued looking in the other direction, not bothering to face them.

"We wanted to give you something." Azarand said softly.

The Magna Defender turned his head to glance over his shoulder at the two clerics. "And what do you possibly have that you could give me?" He snapped in irritation.

To Ali, it seemed that the Magna Defender was just like any other person, easier to upset when in pain. The fact made him smile slightly.

"And what are you smiling at Ali?" The Magna Defender said in a low, deadly tone.

Ali's smile melted off of his face faster than an ice cube over a fire. It wasn't just the fact that the Defender had caught such a minute detail from his position; it was the fact that the Magna Defender had identified him by name. Needless to say, that shocked him.

Azarand had stilled at hearing the warrior growl his brother's name, but went on retrieving the dagger from his suit's jacket pocket.

"You forgot you dagger. Left it behind embedded in a tree." Azarand said as he looked the dagger over.

That got the Magna Defender's attention. He turned fully around, his body blocking out the glaring star, the light forming an aurora around him. The Magna Defender said nothing, just stared down at his son's dagger.

Azarand held it out and Ali walked over to gently grab it from his hand.

Turning around, Ali began walking slowly towards the Magna Defender. He stopped when he was nearly toe to toe with the warrior and held his hand out.

The Magna Defender stared at the dagger in Ali's hand before he slowly raised his head and gazed directly into Ali's eyes. The two were nearly equal in height, the Magna Defender having an inch or two to his advantage. They said nothing, the Magna Defender and Ali staring at each other. The Magna Defender cocked his head slightly to gaze upon Azarand who stood behind Ali. Cocking his head back, the Magna Defender lowered his gaze once more to Zika's dagger. Slowly, his black gloved hand reached out from the folds of his cape and armor towards the fair toned hand. The Magna Defender didn't grab the dagger immediately; instead he gently rested his palm face down onto Zika's dagger and kept it there. The two hands, one skin toned the other clothed in leather creating a cocoon around the dagger. The two hands rested, one on top of the other for many silent seconds, before slowly but surely the Magna Defender began to curl his fingers gently around the small blade. With the dagger secured protectively in his grasp, the Magna Defender withdrew his hand, however softly, and replaced the blade in the sheath on his forearm.

He looked up and found the both Ali and Azarand were staring into his eyes. Beneath his helmet he smiled at the two. It was a smile not a result of securing his son's dagger, but one filled with bittersweet memories. These two had no reason to bring such an item back to him, after all he'd actively opposed their goals since he encountered them, yet they went out of their way to bring this precious item to him. IT warmed his darkened heart, however slightly, these two were just how he remembered, always ready to do what was right, and always ready to help. They were truly two beings to be held on a pedestal, beings he would've been proud to call his children. Would've. He thought too much had occurred since then for any semblance of their family to exist any longer, but as he stared into the green depths of the eyes standing before him, for a moment, he wished things had been different.

"Thank you both for returning this priceless piece back to me." He said in a light hearted tone he hadn't used in over 3,000 years. He tried to mask the pain that still dully throbbed through his frame, a result of the incident earlier in the day.

The smile he received in response was more than enough payment for his kind words. "You're welcome." Ali said.

"I second that, you're quite welcome Magna Defender." Azarand said as he walked up behind Ali, coming to stand beside his brother.

The Magna Defender looked over the two, very pleased to know that his blood ran through their veins, and for a moment, he felt pride. Another small smile came upon his lips, but it was quickly replaced with urgency. He had failed his mission today, he was running out of time and he was no closer to his end goal.

Giving the two brothers a nod, he backed away then turned around. Within seconds he'd jumped up and away from the pair.

Ali and Azarand were still smiling even after the Magna Defender had gone.

"You know, I think we brought feelings he hasn't felt in many years." Azarand said.

Ali, still thinking of the almost intimate moment involving their two hands, could only smile and nod. It was certainly a memory he would keep for the rest of his life.

"I think it's time we head back to the rangers and check up." Ali finally said, Azarand nodding in acceptance as the two clerics walked down the hill.

They'd come here with uncertainty clouding their minds. But they left with memories that warmed their hearts and souls, memories that epitomized all that was good.

* * *

The rangers had searched for a long while, searching for Trecheron and the Shark Brothers, so far they'd found absolutely nothing.

As they neared a small stream, all five heard a noise above them. Turning around they were greeted by a spinning shuriken, the blade slashing through them, sending them to the ground.

The shark brothers appeared, landing on the ground with loud crunches.

"Fancy meetin you here!" One of the monsters laughed.

The rangers struggled to their feet, Leo stepping out in front of the rest. "Well let's see how funny you think this is!"

A bolt of red light appeared in front of the Shark Brothers, when their eyes returned to normal the rangers saw that Trecheron had arrived.

"I see we've caught up with you rangers again. Now it's time to finish you!" Trecheron drew his katana and along with the Shark Brothers, charged towards the rangers.

The rangers put up a good fight, yet were soon overwhelmed by the power of the evil trio.

Leo tried to fight against Trecheron, but the injury the monster had caused him earlier had weakened him. Trecheron was able to get past his measly defenses and strike him multiple times.

After a short couple of minutes, Trecheron and the Shark Brothers pulled back, surveying the damage they'd caused. The rangers were all flattened on the ground, groaning in pain, with smoke pouring from their bodies.

* * *

Ali and Azarand had hurried over when they heard sounds of fighting nearby. Peeking out from the bush they'd hid behind, the pair was startled to see the rangers lying on the ground, while Trecheron and his two minions stood proudly.

Ali and Azarand both exchanged looks of surprise.

"Why don't they just use the lights?" Ali asked his brother quietly.

"I don't know why but we have to help them." Azarand whispered to his brother.

Ali nodded and reached into his black suite. He pulled out a smoke grenade. Pulling the pin, he rose from his position and angled himself towards the combatants.

"Hey fish sticks!" He yelled towards the Shark Brothers.

All heads turned in his direction.

"Ali?" Kai asked in surprise and confusion.

"What's he doing here!?" Trecheron yelled in fury.

"Eat it!" Ali yelled as he hurled the smoke grenade towards the monsters, the device activating as soon as it impacted the ground. Within seconds the entire area was covered in a thick blanket of white smoke, Trecheron and the Shark Brothers coughing and using their hands to attempt to bat the blinding smoke away.

The smoke gave the rangers a chance to regroup and reorganize, and as soon as the smoke began to clear, they made their move.

Leo flew out from the smoke and kicked Trecheron in the chest, the monster flying back. Kai, Damon, Maya, and Kendrix took care of the Shark Brothers. Soon the tables had clearly turned.

"What!?" One of the Shark Brothers yelled, displeased at the recent turn of events.

Leo stood tall and proud as he stared down his three enemies. "You may think you're strong, but we're stronger!" Leo said with a smile in his voice.

"LIGHTS OF ORION ACTIVATE!" The rangers shouted in tandem. Their gloved hands reaching up towards the sky, the lights activating, soon the rangers wore the customized equipment that the power of the lights granted to them.

With his increased power, Leo powered up his saber, and sent a powerful shot aimed directly at the Shark Brothers. The resulting explosion sent to two siblings to the ground.

"Curse the Lights of Orion!' The Shark Brothers said as they lay on the ground. "They're just too powerful!"

"Maybe for you!" Trecheron said as he stepped between the Shark Brothers and the rangers. "But not for me."

"What are we to do?" The green Shark Brother asked.

"Worry not. This is my battle and I intend to finish it! Starting with you red ranger!" Trecheron glared towards Leo as he slowly unsheathed his katana. "And this time we fight to the finish."

Trecheron walked slowly towards Leo, the red ranger doing the same. When they were within a swords reach of each other, each made their move. The blades clashed, each striking the other multiple times, both not affected by the multiple blows.

When they finally broke apart, Trecheron glared at the red ranger. "You fight well; it would be a shame to destroy you!"

The two resumed their battle soon after, each landing blows on each other.

"Power up claw!" Leo said as his claw opened up.

Leo blocked the next slash from Trecheron, and with his claw he snapped his katana in two.

"My sword!" Trecheron yelled.

Leo did not hesitate. He powered up his Quasar Saber and brought it down in a powerful blow.

Trecheron fell to the ground; slowly he began to pick himself up, stumbling towards Leo.

"Red ranger, you stand for everything I hate. Goodness, honesty, I will destroy you if it's the last thing I do!" He said with conviction, retrieving half of his broken katana, he made his way closer and closer to Leo.

"Don't make me destroy you Trecheron." Leo said as he tensed up, waiting for the strike.

Trecheron brought his broken blade down with a quaking grip, but it was all that Leo needed to see. He slashed at the monster, and this time the blow was final. Trecheron fell back and exploded into a ball of fire.

"No!" The Shark Brothers cried, outraged, they quickly grew to gargantuan size, intent on destroying the rangers who'd destroyed their commander.

The rangers quickly answered their threat, calling upon the Galaxy Megazord.

* * *

Down below, Ali and Azarand watched with some amazement. They'd just seen Leo defeat the monster that had plagued their missions for many years. The monsters that bested the Magna Defender, the monster who was the highest ranking member in Scorpius' army, that monster was now gone.

Azarand couldn't help but feel a little pride for Leo, he knew his brother was no different. Both watched in awe as the Galaxy Megazord powered up and destroyed the two Shark Brothers.

The pair moved out from the bushes and into open space. The Galaxy Megazord spotted them; the hulking giant spun around and leaned down to face them.

"Excellent job rangers!" Ali shouted up at them.

"Excellent job indeed! Now I think we deserve some rest!" Azarand quipped, causing Ali to laugh.

While they'd scored an incredible victory, they still had a long way to go.


	16. Sacrifice

Chapter 16: Sacrifice (Redemption Day)

Ali was at the observatory, readying to go over another batch of long exposure photographs from the previous two nights. As he turned on the computer, a knock sounded at the door. Looking over, Ali began slowly walking towards the door, and upon looking into the peephole, he smiled.

Azarand stood on the other side, wringing his hands in a nervous fashion.

Ali quickly opened the door. "Well what are you all the way out here for?" He asked his brother who stepped through the threshold.

"I have to tell you something." Azarand said in an urgent voice, his head swiveling around to look at every nook and cranny of the observatory.

"What are you doing Az?" Ali asked, confused at his brother's actions.

"Making sure that no one else is here." Azarand replied, still looking around.

"Why? What is so top secret that no one else can hear this?" Ali asked, to his knowledge, Zordon hadn't told him anything classified recently.

Azarand, satisfied that no one was in the building, walked over towards Ali's desk and sat on the edge of the mahogany wood.

Azarand looked up and stared at Ali, saying nothing, his piercing gaze leveled at Ali.

Ali knew something was wrong. " Az, what's wrong?"

"Zika's alive." Azarand mumbled.

Ali couldn't understand what he thought he'd just heard. "Excuse me?"

"I said Zika is alive." Azarand said evenly.

Ali must've stood there for a number of minutes with his mouth hung open like a gaping fish. His breaths came in rapid bursts, his heart thumped loudly in his chest. This was impossible, it couldn't be, how could this have happened?

"Did….did you just tell me that Zika is alive?" Ali stuttered.

"Yes." Azarand replied in a soft voice.

"What the hell kind of games do you think you're playing!? What kind of sick joke is this!?" Ali roared, his brother had to be playing a dirty joke on him.

"Ali! This isn't a joke! Zordon told me that Zika is alive!" Azarand yelled back at his angered brother.

In an instant, all of Ali's anger simply disappeared. "What?"

Azarand stood to his feet and walked towards the door. As he neared the heavy metal framed door, he turned around to face his brother. "Follow me and I will show you." With that he opened the door and walked out.

Ali stood still, staring at the opened door before finally collecting himself. He hastily grabbed his suit jacket and put it on, and rushed out the door, slamming it shut as he ran by.

* * *

Azarand had driven them in his small car back to their apartment. Upon entering, Ali noticed that communication with Zordon was already open, the blue hologram of the man shone in the center of the living room.

"Why hello there Ali." Zordon said, his voice tinted with somberness.

Ali looked up towards the hologram. "Zordon, what the hell is going on?"

Zordon's eyes cast downwards as if he were a child with their hands caught in the cookie jar. "I have something to both show and tell you."

"Yes, what is it?" Ali said straight to the point. He didn't care if he was being disrespectful, he wanted answers.

"What Azarand has told you is true, Zika is alive." Zordon said quietly.

Ali stood in silence for many moments; taking in what he didn't want to think was possible. "How?"

"I couldn't let him remain in an eternal sleep. Seeing how your father reacted to Zika's death broke my heart. I had only conversed with your father and brother briefly, but it was enough to convince me to bring Zika back from the stars beyond."

"You brought him back to life?" Ali asked, still in utter shock.

"Yes, your father buried him wrapped in cloth before setting out on his mission of revenge. Your home world was shattered, and soon after Xanos departed, I teleported to Taurus. I found your brother's grave and channeled all my powers into making his heart beat once more. Once I was successful, I brought him back to Earth and put him in hibernation. I sealed his unconscious body in a location that was only known to be and that only I could access." Zordon explained the story to Ali, Azarand having already heard it earlier that morning.

"Why tell us now?" Ali asked his voice quiet with shock.

Zordon remained quiet, his eyes focused on Ali's face. A small smile came to his face. "Because he is the key to your father's redemption."

"What do you mean Zordon? How can he be of any help when you've locked him away somewhere?" Ali said, irritation and annoyance coloring his voice.

"He can help us because he is there on Terra Venture." Zordon told Ali, the cleric was now suspicious.

"What are you talking about?" He was confused, if Zika was here on Terra Venture, he would've gotten wind of such a development. "Did you keep that a secret as well?" Ali said in anger.

Zordon sighed, realizing how upset his cleric was. "I mean that he is on the station. I had hidden up under a place that neither of you would look; only recently have I recovered him. I apologize for not telling you two, but it was imperative that you not know. He needed to be protected at all costs, even if that meant not telling his two brothers."

It all clicked in Ali's mind. He would look all over for his brother, but there was one glaring exception. The observatory. He'd designed the building himself, and installed numerous security and safety measures. It was so secure that he would've never imagined that anyone or anything could infiltrate it without his knowledge. Perhaps that was why Zordon decided to entomb Zika underneath his very feet. Slowly Ali nodded his head.

Zordon noticed the movement and a smile broke out on his weathered face.

"Where is he now?" Ali asked, his voice no longer raised or edged with anger.

Zordon took his gaze off of Ali and turned it towards his brother. "Azarand."

Azarand nodded and began to walk towards his bedroom, Ali began to follow. When he got to the close door, he stopped and turned around. "Are you ready for what you are about to see?" He asked in a serious voice.

Ali didn't have the nerve to speak, he settled for nodding.

Azarand slowly turned the door handle, the latch opening with a click. The door slowly swung open and Azarand began to walk into the room. Ali followed and was shocked by what he saw.

There in the center of the room, where a bed used to be, was a metal table. And on that metal table was the motionless, black armored body of their older brother. Zika's helmet was all that was exposed to their eyes, a plain white blanket covering his torso, arms, and legs.

Ali stopped in the door, a chill going through his body. From what memoires he had, this being looked nothing like his brother. Then again, his father's current state looked nothing like Xanos. Like Xanos, Zika was adorned in the attire of the Defenders. Ali smiled, if his older brother was anything like his father, he would make a great Magna Defender.

He slowly walked towards the body, stopping when his hand brushed the cool metal of the table. He looked Zika up and down, the glare of the overhead lights reflecting off of his helmet visor. Ali noticed that Zika's chest moved steadily up and down, he bent down and rested his ear over Zika's heart. Ali smiled when he felt and heard the steady thumping of a healthy heart.

Ali leaned back up and turned to face Azarand, who was standing in the doorway, smiling at what he saw.

"He's good." Ali said, giving his brother another large smile.

Azarand smiled back, and motioned out back into the hallway. "I'm glad he meets your standards, now we shouldn't keep Zordon waiting."

Nodding, Ali moved towards his brother who stepped out into the hallway. Once they had exited, Ali grabbed the doorknob and gently shut the door. The two walked back out into the main living room where Zordon was waiting.

The being of light stared at the two with a look of anxiousness. It seemed that Zordon was hoping that Ali approved of what he'd done; after all, he was trying to save the Magna Defender from certain doom.

"He looks good Zordon." Ali said, his hand going to his chin in a very formal manner.

Zordon was surprised but extremely relived. He let loose the breath he'd held and smiled. "Well young Ali, I am glad that you approve of my handling of your older brother. "

"I have a lot of questions Zordon." Ali told his mentor.

"As do I." Azarand chimed in, speaking directly to Zordon for the first time that evening.

Zordon nodded his head in acceptance. "I will be happy to answer them."

"What do you plan on using Zika for?" Ali was the first of the two to shoot off a rapid question.

Zordon was equally quick to reply. "I hope that Zika will make the Magna Defender see that only darkness will become of his vengeful goals. Zika, before he was "killed" by Scorpius, shared many similar qualities to you two, his younger brothers. I'm not sure if you remember what he was like, but I'm sure that if he saw what your father had become, he would be horrified. If I can make him see that he is no better than Scorpius, then it is possible to redeem him."

The two brothers shrugged their shoulders, they had some memories of Zika, but none were clear enough to paint a good picture of their brother.

"Will he be conscious or unconscious for this?" Azarand asked, his doctor's instincts kicking in, even if he was just a psychologist.

"Well it will certainly work better if Zika is aware of what he is doing. My hopes depend on him being conscious, and noticing the actions of his father." Zordon quipped with a smile which soon faded as his tone grew more serious.

"How are you planning on waking him up from a coma that he's been in for 3,000 years?" Azarand asked, skeptical of a positive outcome in such a situation.

Zordon stared at him. "Azarand, your medical profession has made you quite skeptical of many things. Good! Every good scientist or doctor knows never to trust anything until it is proven. To answer your question, at this very moment I have Zika under a trance. This trance is light enough that it will not cause his fragile body to shut down, yet strong enough that he cannot be woken by a light sound. When the time comes, I will remove this trance and he will wake up naturally."

Azarand nodded, pleased with the explanation.

Ali however, still had more questions to ask.

"How will you make him see what Xanos has done? Show him the past?" Ali quirked his eyebrow up.

Zordon nodded. "Partly Ali. I will not only show him the past, but show him the future as best I can."

"Show him the future? Can you show us the future so we know what we're dealing with?" Ali gave Zordon the best puppy dog eyes he could muster.

I didn't work. "No I cannot, and no matter how cute you look, I can not reveal such information to you, it may change the course of history, possibly for the worse. I cannot reveal the future to you because you two will find that you have an extremely important mission coming up, one that will demand all of your duty, and potential sacrifice."

 _Sacrifice._

The word was burned in the minds of Ali and Azarand. Each was dying to ask the question in their minds.

Would they come out of this mission alive?

But before they had any chance to speak, the hologram flashed out of existence, with the blue light gone, the room was bathed in pitch black.

They were heading into the unknown, and they didn't know how to feel about that.

* * *

Leo and Maya were in the women's quarters. Leo was staring out of the window, while Maya made herself a drink. Leo was deep in thought, just two days earlier, he'd heard Mike, and he knew people thought he was crazy, but he knew he heard Mike's voice.

Maya stared at Leo with worrisome eyes, the red ranger had been acting strange ever since their encounter with the Shark Brothers."Leo." Maya began, only to be interrupted.

"Look Maya, if you were going to tell me that I was just dreaming, save your breath. I know what I heard." Leo was clearly agitated.

Maya appeased Leo. "At first I thought the voices were in your imagination. But Leo, I can sense something in the air, I can't explain it." Maya said as she walked towards the window to join Leo. "But I think Mike's alive."

Leo whipped his head to face Maya, surprise riddling his body. He just didn't know what to think.

* * *

Ali and Azarand were walking through the city center, strolling around, visiting the many shops that downtown had to offer. They told themselves they were going grocery shopping, but the real reason was to digest the recent information they'd been given.

Ali was staring at through the window of a baking store, admiring the many pastries and cakes on display. On the other side of the narrow street, Azarand was browsing through an outdoor vendor's selection of clothing. Suddenly the ground shook, the hangers rocked back and forth and the cakes jiggled. Both their heads shot up in curiosity. Did they hit a piece of space debris? An asteroid? Ali knew such a collision would be more violent, something more sinister had just happened.

That's when it clicked in both their minds, Scorpius.

The two dropped whatever they held and ran off, in the direction of the presumed explosion, and they needed to get there fast.

* * *

Leo and Maya decided to take a nice relaxing drive through the Mountain Dome. After what Maya had said to him, Leo needed some time to clear his mind, and the Mountain Dome was an excellent way to do so. With Maya sitting next to him, they drove to many of the scenic places, stopping on the turn offs to admire the beautiful views. They also visited Ali's observatory but found that their mutual friend was not inside the building. They had wasted a good 3 hours before both decided that it was time to head back home.

They were nearing the airtight tunnel that connected the Mountain Dome to the central part of Terra Venture.

"The mountain dome always reminds me of Miranoi." Maya said as she looked out over the passing hills. "I'm so glad we went."

"I guess since you've been swinging from vines since you were a kid, it's easy." Leo joked, Maya gave a small laugh. As they entered the tunnel, Leo decided to humor Maya so more, laughing would take his mind away from thoughts of his brother. "One time I was climbing this huge tree, it must've been 30 feet tall. And just when I was getting to the top, the branch snapped." Leo waited for Maya's laugh, but it never came. Looking over, Leo noticed that Maya wasn't paying any attention to him. Her eyes were fixed on something outside the tunnel, in space.

"Are you listening to me?" Leo asked as Maya stared literally into space.

"No." She said, "stop for a sec."

Leo slowed the compact car down until it eventually stopped. As soon as the wheels had stopped turning, Maya unbuckled her seatbelt and walked over to the clear pane of glass that separated her from the vacuum of space.

"Are my jokes that bad?" Leo asked as he unbuckled his seat belt and walked up behind her. "What is it then?"

That's when they saw it. The Scorpion Stinger rising above the tunnel, its evilness in full view of the two rangers, Leo and Maya stood in shock at the sight of the ship. The tail of the Scorpion Stinger bent forward and prepared to fire.

"Run!" Leo shouted as he got his wits about him. He grabbed Maya and shoved her in front of him; the yellow ranger began to run. No sooner had they began running that the Scorpion Stinger fired, a large green bolt hitting the tunnel they were in, and a wall of flame barreling towards them. They knew they had the reach the blast door at the end of the tunnel; it was their only way of surviving this. As they neared the blast door, Leo's hopes fell as he saw them begin to close, the heavy doors automatically closing in response to the loss of pressure in the tunnel. Leo didn't think they were going to make it, but he wouldn't go down without a fighting chance. With one final burst of energy, Leo sent his body careening into Maya, the impact propelling them forward, through the blast door, just as it slammed shut. On the other side, the wall of flame deflected off the blast door with little damage, and thankfully no loss of life.

Leo picked himself up, and then went over to check on Maya's condition. The young woman was a little shaken but alive.

"Thank you for saving me Leo." Maya said, then without hesitation, she threw her arms around the red ranger.

Leo was a little shocked, but returned the hug. After the adrenaline had worn off, he became aware of the Terra Venture emergency alarm system had been activated. The flashing red lights and the announcements repeated over and over again.

"What was that about?" Leo asked Maya, hoping she'd have an answer.

"Whatever it is, it cannot be good. Come on." She said as she took Leo's hand and led him away.

They needed to meet up with the others, and fast.

* * *

Kai and Kendrix were in the control center when it was rocked by an explosion. The emergency alert system blared as crew members scrambled to their stations.

"They've attacked the Mountain Dome tunnel." Kai told Commander Stanton.

"Close the airlocks." Commander Stanton told Kai, his second in command. Within seconds the airlocks were closing, television monitors showing the steel doors coming down towards the ground.

The Scorpion Stinger fired a second blast; the impact rocked the ship, and sent those in the Command Center to the ground.

Kai rushed over to help Commander Stanton to his feet. "They've broken off the attack." He noted.

Kai had assumed it was all over, just another one of Scorpius' many failed attempts at bringing the station to its knees. Then another warning sounded, alarming the crew that the energy in the Mountain Dome was decreasing.

"They've tapped into the ship's power supply." The commander noted as he saw the percentage of energy in the Mountain Dome steadily decreasing. "Secure the exterior portals now!" He ordered, his crew rushing to follow his commands.

Kendrix knew something terrible was happening. Without a word she ran over to Kai and grabbed him by the arm, both ran from the Command Center, they needed to find the other rangers.

* * *

After nearly escaping from a fiery doom, Leo and Maya had run towards the center of the city. They'd contacted the others, telling them to meet in front of the Command Center.

* * *

The rangers weren't the only ones rushing towards the Command Center. Ali and Azarand were blazing a trail to the center of town, where they'd thought they might encounter the rangers. The two clerics knew that this was something they'd never seen before, it was more sinister than all of Scorpius' previous plans, even more so than Destructo gaining control of the Lights of Orion.

They finally had the imposing structure of the Command Center in sight, Ali picked up the pace as did Azarand, both eager to help their five charges.

When they rounded the bend, they both breathed a sigh of relief; the five rangers had assembled and were talking amongst themselves.

"Hey guys!" Azarand yelled, all five heads shooting up in their direction.

Both clerics ran over and joined the group.

"What happened? We felt an explosion." Ali said, giving no time for formal greetings.

" Scorpius, he blasted the tunnel to the Mountain Dome, and is currently draining the station of energy." Maya told the two clerics.

Azarand turned to Damon, knowing the mechanic could answer his question. "How long do we have before this station turns into a ball of ice?"

"Two maybe three hours." Damon said, clearly worried about the potential consequence.

"That's it?" Leo said, surprised their much needed time was ticking away.

" Is it possible to stop it?" Ali asked Damon.

The green jumpsuit wearing mechanic thought for a moment before replying. "Yes, we can stop it. But it will be the most challenging thing we've ever done."

Leo clapped his hands together. "Let's do it!"

"Yeah!" Everyone replied.

"Leo, you guys go ahead of us, there might be an additional attack to divert your attention from stopping this catastrophe, if so Az and I will deal with it." Ali told the rangers.

"Okay Ali, we have faith in you. Okay guys, lets save this station!" Leo said as he and the other rangers began to run away.

With the rangers gone, Ali and Azarand didn't know what to do. Should they sit and wait? Should they head to the Mountain Dome? Should they contact Zordon? Or should they try to find out the whereabouts of the elusive Magna Defender?

The brothers decided that the best option was to check up on Zordon, he could give them guidance in this moment of need.

* * *

Unknown to all, the Magna Defender was watching and listening, waiting for the precise moment to strike. The Defender had veiled himself behind a wooden fence and a tree, out of sight from the citizenry, the rangers, and Ali and Azarand.

Hearing what was said, Scorpius draining the energy from Terra Venture, the Magna Defender knew he might never get another chance like this again. For many days he'd brooded over his failure to dispose of Trakeena, but now it appeared that his luck was turning around.

Now was the time to strike. He knew that his plan might cause mayhem and destruction and before he'd come here he would've given it no care. However, that was before, in his elapsed time on Terra Venture, he'd discovered two new beings. Beings that brought his past out of the shadows, a past he couldn't ignore. He knew that his plan today might destroy Terra Venture, taking Ali and Azarand along with it. He felt cold at the thought of losing the two remaining vestiges of his family, if he could destroy Scorpius any other way he would, but alas, he could not. This way the only way, and he was taking advantage of the opportunity given to him.

Stepping out from behind the fence, the Magna Defender balled his right hand into a fist. "Scorpius is within my reach, I'll crush him once, and for all. "

* * *

Ali and Azarand had made their way back to their apartment. They'd decided to sprint to their residence, seeing as though Terra Venture was slowly being drained of energy.

The two burst through the apartment door panting heavily. Azarand ran over towards the coffee table and pressed the button underneath. The blue hologram of Zordon instantly appeared.

"Zordon! We need help!" Ali yelled.

Zordon answered immediately, sensing the urgency of the situation. "Fear not, I know what to do. Don't focus on Scorpius, focus on the Magna Defender."

"What?" Ali and Azarand said in unison. Turn their focus away from Scorpius? When the monster was going to turn their habitable oasis into a frozen heap of waste?

"The Magna Defender plans are a far greater threat to the station. Yes, Scorpius is draining power from the station, but I have foreseen that this isn't his end game as you say. He is playing all of you, making you fear that the station is doomed. But the reality, young ones, is that Scorpius is making himself venerable to the Magna Defender."

"Why make himself venerable? Doesn't he realize that the Magna Defender would destroy him?" Azarand asked, wholly confused with the situation.

" He certainly does, he wants the Magna Defender to hatch a plan to destroy him. He knows that the Magna Defender doesn't care what gets in his way, and he is counting on that being so this time. As of right now, the Magna Defender has a plan to destroy Scorpius. This plan would also destroy the station as well, you have to stop him. I believe in you!" Zordon said in a high voice brimming with confidence.

"Zordon wait!" Ali yelled, but it was too late, their teacher had cut the line of communication.

All alone, the two looked at each other. Ali removed his homburg hat and ran his hand through his hair. "What do we do?"

"We do what he says." Azarand replied.

"You can't be serious Az! That monster is going to freeze this station!" Ali yelled, he didn't know what to do and the confusion was fraying his nerves.

"Ali calm down!" Azarand told his brother. "Yes, while I have misgivings about this, I will not doubt Zordon's judgment. We've seen how damaging the Magna Defender can be, and it is very possible that he can be planning a mission that will have only the end game in mind, destroying Scorpius, no matter what the costs. Yes, while he has seemed to open up more to us recently, we can't trust him to simply turn his back on his vengeful goals because his two wayward sons appeared in his life once more. "Azarand told his brother with sincerity written all over his face.

"So, if we are to stop the Magna Defender, what must we do?" Ali asked, his eyes unwavering.

" Zika." Azarand said.

"Explain." Ali ordered his brother.

"Our older brother was the reason our father was so destroyed. Zika's death turned Xanos into a monster. If he were to see that Zika was still alive, it is conceivable that he might give up his crusade of vengeance, or at least not be so uncaring. It's all we have to work with." Azarand began walking towards his room, the door shut tightly.

Just as he was about to reach for the handle, Ali interrupted him. "How will we be sure he wakes?"

Azarand turned the handle and swung the door open, revealing a still motionless Zika lying on table in the middle of the room. "We have Zordon on our side." Azarand said as he began to walk into the room.

Behind him, Ali cracked a ghost of a grin.

* * *

The Magna Defender had returned to the Mountain Dome and had called upon Torozord. The hulking metal beast stood before its master, obediently waiting for commands to be given.

"The day has finally come for me to avenge my son. When I destroy this dome Scorpius will be destroyed as well." The Magna Defender told his zord, he turned around and shouted, "Defender Torozord!"

The Magna Defender grew to an enormous height and took his place inside his zord. The Defender Torozord walked over to a deep natural lake and powered up his staff. With one shot of concentrated energy, the water vaporized, fire and flame in its place. The once serene and tranquil environment was turned into a cauldron of fire, molten rock, and billowing smoke.

Scorpius would surely be destroyed.

* * *

The rangers had received an alert from Alpha on their morphers urgently telling them to report to their command post. When they arrived, Alpha got right to the point.

"Rangers, Magna Defender is trying to blow up the Mountain Dome!" The robot said, flailing his arms for added emphasis.

Kai cocked his head in both surprise and confusion. "Alpha what are you talking about?"

"He's using his energy to create a meltdown. If he succeeds he'll destroy Scorpius and Terra Venture! Ay yi yi!" Alpha said as his circuits worked to process his words.

"We've got to stop him!" Leo said, he wasn't about the let Terra Venture be destroyed by some madman. He and the rangers beat a hasty exit.

* * *

Ali and Azarand were going as fast as they could with Zika's still form in the back of their small car. On the way to the Mountain Dome, through their earpieces Zordon had told them what the Magna Defender was currently up to. Needless to say, it upset them a lot, they had somewhat foolishly thought that the Magna Defender was beginning to change, perhaps they'd been wrong. However, now was not the time to second thoughts, they had a clear mission. In the distance they saw smoke, flame, and the Defender Torozord. As they got closer, Ali stopped the small car and they got out. Azarand hefted Zika up onto his shoulders and the two began a short but warm trek towards the raging inferno.

As they walked up a hill, getting ever closer to the fire, they heard and felt a succession of earth shaking vibrations. The two looked up and saw that the Galaxy Megazord was walking towards the Defender Torozord, its huge arm outstretched, as if the zord was pleading for the Defender Torozord to stop.

The Galaxy Megazord grappled with the Magna Defender, but was soon overwhelmed by the sheer power of the Defender Torozord, the latter shoving the former back and slashing at it with its huge gleaming staff.

* * *

Leo had tried to reason with the Magna Defender. "Magna Defender, stop!" He commanded the Galaxy Megazord to advance towards the Defender Torozord. He then ordered the zord to physically restrain the Defender Torozord, to Leo's surprise, the Defender Torozord offered little resistance, initially. "You can't do this; you're going to destroy the whole colony!" Leo said, he hoped the stubborn warrior would listen to him just this one time.

The Defender Torozord turned its head. "I'll do whatever it takes to have my revenge." Instantly shoving away from the Galaxy Megazord's touch, the Defender Torozord proceeded to slash and attack the power rangers' zord. With the rangers momentarily taken care of, the Magna Defender turned his attention back to putting more energy into the flaming pit, the more energy in the pit, the greater the explosion, and the greater chance that Scorpius would be destroyed.

He powered up his staff once more, when something stopped him.

* * *

Down below, Ali and Azarand had watched the confrontation between the two zords with both awe and fright. They knew that if the rangers were unsuccessful, that Terra Venture could very well be blown to bits. They both saw the Defender Torozord power up his staff, only for the glowing energy to quick dissipate. Then to their immense shock and surprise, the zord glowed blue for an instant before it seemingly ripped itself in two.

The two brothers saw that Torozord had planted himself firmly on the ground, looking further they saw that the Magna Defender was lying on his back, slowly getting up. The warrior got to his feet and stood shakily, looking at the zord that was supposed to obey him.

Azarand quickly tucked Zika's body behind a rock, and along with Ali, began to walk forward, intent on getting a closer look.

* * *

The Magna Defender was shocked, how could Torozord betray him like this? They were so very near to destroying Scorpius once and for all, and then his own zord ejected him. Standing shakily on his feet, he turned to Torozord, "Torozord, what are you doing?"

The zord responded with a low whine and turned away from its master.

The Magna Defender could only stare in shock at what had just happened. He raised his hand up in a vain attempt to exert any remaining control he had over his zord. "Torozord come back here! Betrayed by my own zord."

* * *

Leo and the others had disembarked from the Galaxy Megazord after seeing the Defender Torozord seemingly explode into two pieces. They had all seen the Magna Defender fall to the ground and decided that they should help. They ran up to where the Magna Defender had stood to his feet, although it was painfully obvious that the action caused a great deal of pain. They heard him trying to reason with his zord, but Torozord was having none of it.

"I can't believe it; it looks like his own zord threw him out." Kai said, surprise echoing through his voice.

"Yeah." Kendrix said as she looked on.

"What's going on?" Leo said quietly, he had no idea why any of this was happening. Was Torozord having a change of heart? The metal behemoth turned its back on its former master and leader, much to the shock of every one of the rangers.

* * *

A few hundred feet away, Ali and Azarand watched the incident play out in an almost theatrical fashion. The pleading on the part of the Magna Defender, the denial by Torozord, and the ripping betrayal as told by the former made Azarand think of many plays he'd seen. Ali on the other hand was getting quite worried; he'd seen the condition that the Magna Defender was in. The turquoise diamond on his chest was cracked open, and he seemed to have trouble standing on two feet. Despite his worries, Ali was no doubt fascinated when he saw Torozord turn away from the Magna Defender.

Ali wondered what would happen next.

* * *

What none of them knew was that a monster had been sent down to destroy the Magna Defender, per Scorpius' orders. Freaki Tiki as he was known was eager to carry out his mission, and had transported to the Mountain Dome. There he found both the rangers and the Magna Defender, with the warrior's back turned he made his move.

Ali and Azarand watched as a ball of yellow light appeared behind the Magna Defender. Within an instant, the light had transformed itself into a monster, and a spear had been driven into the back of the Magna Defender's shoulder. Sparks and smoke shot out on the opposing side, near his chest plate. The warrior stilled and fell to his knees, red arcs of energy flowing over his charcoal colored armor.

"Poor Magna Defender, did your little bully run away?" Freaki Tiki mocked the Magna Defender who was impaled on his spear.

Ali, Azarand, and Leo all came up with the same idea. They had to help the ailing Magna Defender.

Ali and Azarand drew their revolvers and each fired off a shot, while Leo drew his Quasar Saber and leapt into the air.

The shots impacted Freaki Tiki, sending the monster staggering back. Leo came down and performed a powerful sword thrust; the impact caused an explosion of sparks and sent the big yellow sunflower to the ground.

Ali and Azarand had run up to the scene, but Freaki Tiki was not down for the count. He shot out his hand towards the other rangers, a sudden explosion rocking the ground around them, sending the four crashing into the soil.

Once Ali and Azarand reached the scene, Leo had already hooked his arm around the Magna Defender's shoulder and hefted him up. Behind them, Freaki Tiki was getting back to his feet, getting ready to unleash another attack.

Ali turned to his brother, Azarand had his Smith and Wesson Governor in one hand and his Ka Bar knife in the other. "Az, stay here with the others and send this sunflower into oblivion."

Azarand nodded in agreement. "Just make sure he's safe." He nodded in the direction of the Magna Defender.

Ali nodded then walked over to Leo and grabbed the Magna Defender's other arm and slung it around his own shoulder. The black armor contrasting with his tan colored suit jacket.

"Leo, you and Ali need to get him out of here, Azarand and the rest of us will take care of Freaki Tiki." Damon said as he and the other rangers ran over, having recovered from the blast.

By this point Freaki Tiki was on his feet and was done playing around. "You're going to pay for your meddling!" He shouted the rangers and Azarand wasting no time, the five rushing towards the monster.

With Freaki Tiki occupied, Leo and Ali were left to figure out what to do with the black armored fighter who sagged on their shoulders.

"We need to get him away from here." Ali said to Leo, the red ranger nodded in agreement.

They set out at a brisk walk, the Magna Defender groaning in their arms. They'd found a path that took them through small ditch surrounded by large boulders.

As they traversed the gully, the path turned rough, the rocks jostled them, causing the Magna Defender to moan in pain.

Suddenly, green bolts of light appeared behind them. Ali and Leo saw the flashes reflect off of the dull surfaces of the gray rock, turning around they were greeted by a group of stingwingers intent on destroying them.

Both Leo and Ali shoved the Magna Defender off their shoulders at the last moment. The warrior colliding with a nearby rock which he leaned against as he watched the two sides square each other up.

Leo and Ali circled the stingwingers, no one making the first move. After a few seconds locked in standoff, Ali was the first one to make a move. He knew that they would fight regardless; he just wanted to speed things up, lest the Magna Defender's injuries get worse. In a lightening quick move he roundhouse kicked the nearest stingwinger in the head, the bug was sent to the ground. A split second later, another stingwinger swung his arm towards Ali; the cleric caught the insect like claw and flipped the stingwinger over his shoulder. Then the battle was on.

Leo drew his Quasar Saber and attacked two stingwingers to his right, slashing at the insects, sparks and smoke shooting out from where they had been struck. To Leo's left, Ali was locked in fierce hand to hand combat with two stingwingers, he swept the legs out from under one and uppercut the other. With the two momentarily taken out of action, he took a second to analyze the scene. He saw Leo holding his own against many stingwingers, but Ali wondered if there were anymore. He turned around to face the Magna Defender when he saw a posse of stingwingers emerge from behind a group of rocks, behind the Magna Defender, the black clad man oblivious of the danger. Ali knew he had to act and he had to act now.

Not waiting a second longer, he bolted towards the Magna Defender; the Defender's helmet staring right at him, the man no doubt thought he was a crazy fool. Ali reached his long lost father in nick of time, just as the stingwinger swung his armored arm down towards the injured anti hero. Ali, not having time to properly think did the only thing he could, he threw his own arm out, hoping that he would stop the attack. The stingwinger's strike met Ali's forearm in a loud slap, Ali hissed in pain and knew that his wrist may've been fractured.

The Magna Defender stared at Ali, uncomprehending at what had just happened. His wayward son had just risked his arm to save him. But all was not over, Ali used his other arm to grab the stingwinger and pull him in, smashing the bug eyed head against the nearest rock. The stingwinger fell to the ground like a weighted stone. Then two more were on him, and with shooting pains travelling up one arm, Ali had to try and manage fighting off these two with only one good arm. He didn't have the strength to do so. The kicked one away, giving time to chop at the other, but the kick had not kept the stingwinger down for long, soon its arms were wrapping around his neck, and Ali was sent careening into a rock.

" Ali!" He heard the Magna Defender cry, but he didn't have time to process what the man was yelling about. His head smacked the rock with a sickening crack, and he fell into a sitting position, his eyes were glazed over as blood began to seep its way down over his eyes from a gash on his forehead.

Leo had heard the impact and had turned around to see the Magna Defender standing with one arm outstretched and the other braced against the rock behind him. His visor was facing a spot near the dirt path, and another thing Leo noticed, he couldn't see Ali. He quickly finished off the two stingwingers surrounding him, and rushed past their falling bodies. As he did so, he caught sight of the last two stingwingers advancing on both the Magna Defender, and Ali, who was sitting down. It wasn't until Leo slashed through one and finished off the other that he knew why.

Ali shook his head and blinked his eyes a number of times, wiping blood away from his eyes, and shakily stood up. Leo rushed over as he saw his young friend stagger.

"I'm okay, just a little bump on the noggin." Ali quipped, a smile forming on his face.

"You worry me too much." Leo whispered to the cleric.

"I know I should get back and help the others. You stay here and watch over our injured friend." Ali stared over Leo's shoulder and looked at the Magna Defender; the warrior was standing on his own, having move away from his rock support.

"Are you sure?" Leo had just seen Ali on the ground, having taken a blow to the head.

"Yes." And with that the young man ran off down the path, following the way they'd come.

Leo was left alone with the Magna Defender.

* * *

Ali had run back, following the winding path they'd come. He was satisfied that the Magna Defender was in safe hands, and knew that Freaki Tiki would present a challenge to the rangers. He arrived at the scene just in time. Damon had been thrown to the ground and Azarand was thrown into a tree. Ali drew his revolver and fired, hitting Freaki Tiki three times, sparks and smoke erupting from the wounds. Freaki Tiki turned his attention to Ali and attempted to blast the cleric, the bolts not striking the agile young man who easily dodged the attack.

Azarand who'd gotten up off the ground tackled the monster, sending both to the ground.

Freaki Tiki threw all of them off, before blasting at them, the rangers and Azarand evading the blasts. Azarand and Ali each fired off two rounds from their revolvers, distracting Freaki Tiki and the rangers powered up their sabers and attacked Freaki Tiki. While the monster was taken care of for the moment, they knew they needed Leo and the Lights of Orion to finish him off. The other rangers used their Quasar Sabers to slash and hack at Freaki Tiki, soon using the Lights of Orion to finish off the monster. The infamous spear flying into the inferno, further increasing its power and energy.

* * *

Leo didn't know what to do when he was left alone with the Magna Defender. The two had been enemies from the very beginning, always at each other's throats, and always on opposing moral sides. It surprised Leo that he had risked his well being to save a man who would've gladly thrown away his life if it meant a successful mission.

Leo turned around from where the Magna Defender stood, in front of the rocks he'd supported himself on earlier, and began to walk away.

" You're weak red ranger, how could you defend me after all I've done to you?" The Magna Defender said, his voice strained with underlying pain. While the warrior could support his own weight, he was still injured from the earlier attack by Freaki Tiki. "Always fighting for good, it's futile. You're brother was just the same way."

Leo stopped at the words, chilled to the very core. He turned around to face the Magna Defender. "You knew my brother?"

The Magna Defender nodded. "Yes, I know your brother well. When Trecheron blasted me into a deep crevice, I remained there for 3,000 years thinking I would never get out. Then one day the crevice opened and your brother fell in. "Leo was shocked at what he was hearing, but nothing prepared him for what he heard next. "I stole your brother's spirit by switching life forces with him, and then I made my escape." Leo was beyond shocked, he couldn't think straight.

"My brother!? He's still alive?" Leo said his helmeted voice more hopeful than ever before.

The Manga Defender pushed himself away from the rocks, slowly walking towards and eventually past Leo, the warrior's gauntleted fingers stroking his chest. "Very much alive, inside of me, he weighs heavy on my heart when I feel hatred taking control. His goodness is tearing me apart." The last sentence was spoken in a spiteful tone; the Magna Defender had indeed suffered with Mike's soul inside his body.

Leo turned around to face the Magna Defender who now stood behind him. "I don't understand."

" I needed his strength, I had to get out to destroy Scorpius anyway I could." The Magna Defender told Leo in a breathless voice. "You're brother will be lost forever, unless you destroy me."

Leo was again shocked for many a time that day. "Destroy you?" Leo had major differences with the Magna Defender but he didn't know if he could destroy the man.

"It's the only way to free your brother, here; I'll make it easy for you." The Magna Defender drew his sword and pointed it towards Leo.

At this point, Leo's mind was going a mile a minute. He desperately wanted to save his brother, to look into his eyes once more, but he didn't want to destroy what was once a noble warrior who fought for good, despite all their differences.

The Magna Defender, clearly seeing the hesitation by Leo nodded and encouraged him. "Do it, put us both out of our pain."

Leo realized that the pain of losing his brother had also been experienced by the Magna Defender through the loss of his son. The man, however angry and vengeful he was, was still a hurt and depressed soul.

That thinking made up Leo's mind.

The Magna Defender swung his sword, Leo leapt out of the way, the blade harmlessly slashing through a flower.

"What's the matter with you? Don't you want to see your brother again?" The Magna Defender's voice was filled with irritation.

"More than anything." Leo replied in a sincere voice, sheathing his Quasar Saber and clipping it to his hip. " But not this way, I became a ranger to fight evil, you're not evil. I won't destroy you, neither would Mike." Leo decided that he needed to diffuse this situation, and did the only thing he could think of.

He ran, back towards the others, and back towards danger.

As the Magna Defender saw the red ranger run off, away from him, he knew he'd failed. He had hoped that the red ranger would put him out of his misery, but he was wrong. Instead, that misery lingered, and the Magna Defender began to think of his sons, his family. He fell to his knees, his sword falling forgotten to his side, as the memories swamped him.

* * *

 _Zika ran towards him, his son waving at him as he neared._

" _Father!" Zika shouted happily._

 _Zika neared and he reached out and took his sons hands in between his own. He then reached into the folds of his cape and revealed the dagger he'd made for Zika._

 _He reached down and placed it into Zika's palms._

" _Thank you father, I'll keep it forever. When I grow up, I want to fight for good just like you." Zika said as he stared up at his father._

 _The Magna Defender smiled behind his mask. He placed his hands firmly on Zika's shoulder plates and squeezed._

" _That's my little warrior." He said, laughing all the while._

The memory then changed to one of horror.

 _Zika had pulled his dagger out and began charging to Scorpius._

" _Zika! No!" He heard himself scream._

 _He saw Zika being blasted and falling painfully slow to the rubble beneath him._

* * *

The unpleasant memory ended and was replaced with a sudden and brief flash of an image of two young boys.

Ali and Azarand.

"My sons." The Magna Defender whispered, his voiced laced with both physical and emotional pain.

* * *

The rangers continued their fight against Freaki Tiki, with Ali and Azarand landing precision shots on the monster.

Leo jumped in the fray and landed a strike with his Quasar Saber which sent Freaki Tiki to the ground. The monster slowly got up, giving both Ali and Azarand time to move out of the way, they knew what was coming next. Azarand gave Leo and nod and Ali gave the red ranger a smile.

Leo nodded back, smiling under his helmet. He turned to his fellow rangers. "Ready?" He asked them.

"Ready!" The other four replied.

"Let's do it! Lights of Orion! Activate!" Leo shouted, a blinding flash of light appeared, once it had faded, the rangers were outfitted by their enhanced gear.

"Curse you rangers!" Freaki Tiki said as he charged towards the colorful group.

"Power up mode!" Leo shouted into his wrist claw as he and the other rangers ran head on towards the monster.

The soon transformed into a streaming ball of energy, and went right through Freaki Tiki. The monster exploded in a blast of smoke and sparks.

Ali had assumed that that was the end of the freakish looking sunflower. He was wrong.

"I won't be beaten that easily rangers." Freaki Tiki said to himself, his body pouring smoke.

Ali noticed the monster holding a green vile and moved to draw his revolver, but it was too late. Freaki Tiki had consumed the liquid and grew rapidly to a gigantic size.

"Galactabeasts arise!" Leo shouted, and within a couple of seconds, all five Galactabeasts were streaming towards their companions.

With the rangers transforming into the Galaxy Megazord, Ali and Azarand took time to get their own plans in place. Moving away from the action, the pair ended up in the forest, on the banks of a small brook.

"What are we going to do?" Azarand asked his brother as he took his arm in a light grip.

"I don't know, perhaps I'll never really know why we're doing this." Ali said, his eyes unfocused as if deep in thought.

"Do you have Zika?" Azarand asked.

"Yes, why?" Ali asked curiously.

" If we should, you know, then we need to find a way to bring him back." Azarand said.

Ali just stared at him confused. " I believe Zordon has a way of bringing him back. He is the embodiment of all that is good and just so, you know, I wouldn't put reviving people past him." Ali smiled as he joked; his face then took a serious turn. "By you know, you mean what Zordon said back there. Sacrifice."

Azarand nodded wordlessly.

Ali nodded. "Well, okay. What about that energy pit that bully the bull head created?"

"We have to find a way to neutralize it." Azarand said.

Ali nodded in agreement, and then put his hand to his chin. "The rangers will most likely go after it, then perhaps when all their attempts fail, even the Magna Defender may attempt to stop it."

"You think he would?" Azarand asked, curious about the prospect of the Magna Defender saving their skins.

"From what I've seen recently, I think his inner warrior is awakening, the warrior that created who he is, one who is just and good." Ali said with confidence.

"But he'll fail?" Azarand deadpanned.

Ali gave a solemn nod. "Yes, I think we are the only ones who can stop it. We are agents of Zordon, we represent him, we protect him, we protect goodness….. we are him. Perhaps we were always meant to stop a situation like this, we knew coming into this that we might had to make the ultimate sacrifice, perhaps that time is now."

"Are you scared?" Azarand asked.

"Indeed, but I'm also going to face this oncoming challenge with my head held high." Ali said as he nodded in confidence.

"Then I will follow you until the end. My head also held high." Azarand said as he took hold of his brother's right shoulder and shook it affectionately.

Ali reached up and patted Azarand's hand with a look of brotherly love.

* * *

The rangers had destroyed Freki Tiki and were now trying to reach the summit of the mountain, trying the stop the rising energy before it exploded. With every step they took, a powerful explosion would blast all of them off their feet.

"We can't get near it!" Maya told Leo as she laid on the group.

"The flames are too intense!" Kai added, he looked around; the flames seemed to surround them, the radiating heat made him sweat underneath his spandex.

Leo however, was not one to give up easy. "We can't give up; we've got to reach the core!" He tried to move forward, but found that his movement was impeded by flames on all sides.

* * *

Up above, the Magna Defender watched as the rangers futilely tried to stop the ticking time bomb he'd created.

"Look at them, willing to sacrifice themselves for others." He said, remembering how he would have done so all those years ago. "There was a time when I would've done the same."

 _Father ._ Zika's voice echoed through his head.

"I'm sorry son, I've failed you." He said bitterly.

 _Father._ The voice was louder, and the Magna Defender thought he could seem movement to his front. When he looked up he was shocked to see Zika striding towards him.

It took him a few seconds to stand shakily to his feet. "Zika is that really you?" He asked the figure, wonder and awe coloring his voice.

"Father hurry, you have to stop the evil forces from winning, you have to save the colonies." Zika told him, pointing in the direction of the city dome.

Magna Defender shook his head. "How could I save the colony, when I couldn't even save you?" He said bitterly. "No Zika, I'm not the warrior I once was, that man was destroyed long ago." He said as he stumbled towards his son, falling to his knees and crawling over to a rock. He leaned against the rock and let out a sigh of relief.

Zika knelt beside him. "But it's not too late, that warrior is still inside your heart. I know it is. If you fight for what's right you will honor my memory and we'll always be together." Zika handed over a number of beautiful flowers, their pale while reflecting against the gloomy gray sky.

The Magna Defender reached out tenderly and took the flowers from his son's hand.

Zika began to get up and walk away.

Zikia! Wait!" The Magna Defender pleaded, reaching a hand out towards his son, but it was too late. Zika was gone and he once again found himself surrounded by flames.

The flowers were still in his hand.

 _So it wasn't a dream_.

Knowing what he had to do, he got to his feet and stumbled over to a pair of rocks. Leaning back against the stone, he stared ahead and clenched his fist in determination.

"I know what I must do!" He vowed to himself. Reaching down, he produced his son's dagger. Placing it over the turquoise green gem at the center of his chest, he stabbed inward. The blade plunging into the blue crystal and beginning to glow, it grew in intensity until it was nearly blinding. Then a very distinct thump of something landing on bare earth.

The Magna Defender's armor wilted and scored, his visor became cracked, and he felt very weak. He'd just released one of the heaviest burdens he'd ever held.

Beneath him, the motionless body of Mike Corbett lay in the grass.

He had one final mission to complete.

* * *

One particularly powerful explosion had not only thrown the rangers to the ground, but had also caused them to dimorph.

The rangers stood once again to their feet.

"We've got to stop it." Leo said, his faced bruised and burned.

He went to move once more up the hill but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. The first thing he noticed were the gauntleted hands, looking further down the arm he was surprised to find the owner.

"Magna Defender?" He said confused, what did the warrior want now?

"Only I can do that. It was my hatred for Scorpius that created this evil." The Magna Defender looked once more at the flowers in his hand and drew his sword. Turning towards the rangers he was about the thrust it into the ground, intent on creating energy shield to protect them while he carried out his final mission.

"WAIT!" A voice screamed, stopping everyone in their tracks.

Ali and Azarand ran towards the group. As Azarand drew near with them, he leveled his gaze to the Magna Defender. " We're gonna stop it."

" You guys can't!" Damon shouted in shock.

Ali looked at all of them, Damon, Leo, Kai, Maya,Kendrix, and the Magna Defender. "We have to. When we became clerics, we signed up for stuff like this. It is our duty to protect you and keep you safe, we always have known that we may have to give everything up to stop evil. We are going to do so now. You all need to live." He fixed his gaze at the weakened Magna Defender. "Because you are the last hope goodness has against fighting evil, even if you think otherwise."

Ali stepped forward and removed his homburg hat; he placed it gently on Kendrix's head. He leaned in, towards her ear and whispered. "The observatories, underneath my desk, a box with all my papers, complete them for me would you?" He gave teary eyed Kendrix a big smile and a loving pat on the cheek.

Azarand moved over to Damon and grabbed his hands. "Damon, don't ever let your funny personality go, it means the world to many people." He gave the mechanic's hand a light squeeze. Moving over to Leo he removed his trusty knife from his belt and placed in Leo's palm. "For good luck." He said as Leo looked at him with a saddened face.

Ali moved over to the Magna Defender and reached under his suit jacket. He removed his stiletto and held it out towards the Magna Defender. The Defender stared at both Ali and the object in his hand for many seconds before reaching out and grasping Ali's hand. He gave it a long squeeze, almost as if to try and force Ali to stay. Ali released the stiletto from his grip and it fell into the Magna Defender's palm. He moved his hand away, all the while staring into the visor in front of him. "You may need this, as you will find that Zika's dagger will be getting some heavy use soon." He moved away before that Magna Defender could respond.

After saying their final goodbyes to Kai and Maya, the two then stood in front of the group of five rangers and the Magna Defender, fire and smoke around them, and began whispering the cleric creed of protection. When they'd finished they removed their firearms and aimed them at the sky. Firing simultaneously, the loud crack of the shots rang out above the hiss of the surrounding flames. Suddenly, a wall of light was placed between themselves, and the group. Setting their firearms gently on the ground, they began to take off their suit jackets, exposing their undershirts and ties. For this journey, they didn't want to be bothered by the jackets they'd worn for much of their lives.

Leo walked up and reached out, his hands stopped by the invisible barrier.

Ali and Azarand gave them one final smile before they began walking towards the summit.

"Wait!" Leo shouted in vain.

"Don't do it!" Kendrix shouted along with him, she didn't want to see her two friends gone forever.

The Magna Defender for his part was silent. He was still in shock at what was happening, emotions were ripping through him. He was supposed to be on that hill, braving those flames! Not his two sons!

He was further surprised at the ease of which that word came to him. There was no use in trying to deny it now, his two young ones, Ali and Azarand, oh how he hated himself! If he'd been there for them instead of abandoning them in a fit of rage, none of this would've happened. His two sons wouldn't be walking to their demise.

He looked up and saw the two slowly making their way past the flames and explosions, seemingly unscathed, as if Zordon himself was watching over them.

Overwhelming sadness overcame him, and he was nearly ready to blast away at the invisible wall his two younglings had created. He would be alone, fighting for good, but alone, all of his sons having been destroyed in the fight against evil. He didn't know what he would do with himself.

* * *

After many painful minutes, Ali and Azarand reached the pit of flame. The heat had scorched their clothing and caused them to sweat. Looking down into the seemingly endless inferno, Ali reached over and grabbed Azarands hand. Azarand drew Ali to him in a crushing hug.

" We follow each other until the end." Azarand whispered in Ali's ear.

" Brothers forever." Ali said in Azarand's ear as he moved away.

Hands still intertwined both brothers gave a long look back and the figures standing at the summit, smoke obscuring most of their view, before they turned back to face each other.

Giving smiles of reassurance and love, they took their final step in this existence.

* * *

In a rocky outcrop, the lifeless body of Mike Corbett seized before the once motionless body began rising and falling, breath coming in and escaping his mouth. Long closed eyes began to flutter.

* * *

Close by, behind a rock, a body that had been destroyed nearly 3,000 years ago began to show signs of life. First the chest began to expand and contract, a groan was heard, and for the first time in what seemed like forever, the eyes behind the visor cracked open towards the gray sky. A once long destroyed son had arisen.

* * *

As he fell Ali felt the heat and flames getting closer and closer. He still registered Azarand's hand in his own, neither was screaming because neither was scared. This was what they'd been preparing for their entire lives, and Ali wasn't scared he was honored.

Honored to know the Power Rangers.

Honored to protect good from evil.

Honored to be a part of a family.

Honored to be the Magna Defender's legacy.

Then there was all encompassing darkness.

* * *

 **Well there you have it folks. I was going to originally make this fanfic about 45 chapters, one for each episode, but with school starting and somewhat of a loss of interest, I've decided to end the story here, for now. I MAY restart this story if/when my interest to PRLG returns, but right now it is nonexistent. I'd like to thank anyone and everyone who read this, as this story has been on my mind for many years now, and it was exhilarating to finally put it "on paper." I know there may be some spelling errors in these chapters and I will come along in the future and fix them when I have the time.**

 **The end?**

 **-LittleP**


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